Japan nuclear plant explodes after cooling failure following quake
Image via WikipediaA massive explosion has rocked a Japanese nuclear power plant after Friday's devastating earthquake.Reuters reports radiation has leaked from the reactor after the explosion.
A huge pall of smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima and several workers were injured.
Japanese officials fear a meltdown at one of the plant's reactors but say the container housing it was not damaged.
A huge relief operation is under way after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami it triggered, which is thought to have killed at least 1,000.
The offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami which wreaked havoc on Japan's north-east coast, sweeping far inland and devastating a number of towns and villages.
...
It appears that the reactor was shut down well before any melting occurred, which should reduce considerably the risk of radioactive materials entering the environment.
...
The NY Times says there is a fear of the meltdown of the nuclear core because of the cooling failure.
...The Washington Post says there are five reactor in peril at this point because of the quake.
... The cause of the explosion was unclear, with some experts speculating that it may have resulted from a hydrogen build-up.
There was no immediate confirmation of news reports that the container of the nuclear reactor itself had escaped damage.
...
Comments
Post a Comment