Japanese nuclear plant hit by fire and third explosion

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The explosion on Tuesday at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Photograph: Abc Tv/EPA

Japan is facing one of the world's biggest nuclear crises as a team of engineers struggles to regain control of the Fukushima plant following another explosion and a fire that caused radiation to rise to harmful levels.

Amid growing fears that the situation is heading for catastrophe, up to 70 technicians are still battling to cool reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi facility. Non-essential personnel have been ordered to leave and the Kyodo news agency reported that radiation levels have become too high for staff to remain in control rooms.

The government has already called in international help in tackling the spiralling crisis.

Officials are now concerned about all six reactors at the site, and are considering using helicopters to try to drop cold water on a boiling rooftop storage pond for spent uranium fuel rods. The rods are still radioactive and potentially as hot and dangerous as the fuel rods inside the reactors if not kept in water.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/ma ... -explosion

 

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Japanese citizens are now trying to leave the country. The situation is very uncertain and a nobody is certain as to the true extent of the damage to the reactors .
High levels of radiation have been measured near by !
The next hours could be critical. Trouble has been experienced in cooling down the reactors . If they can not cool the reactors down then the situation will become dire . At the moment it is raining in Japan but the wind is blowing out to sea . If the wind changes then the dangers of radiation fallout become more intense .