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Hundreds killed, thousands missing in Japan tsunami - Nuclear reactor crisis |
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The News -
Natural Disasters
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March 11, 2011 |
Thousands of people are reported missing after the biggest earthquake on record rattled north-eastern Japan, triggering a massive tsunami that swept away everything in its path. Japan confronted devastation along its northeastern coast on Saturday, with fires raging and parts of some cities under water after a massive earthquake and tsunami that likely killed at least 1,000 people. Daybreak was expected to reveal the full extent of the death and damage from Friday's 8.9 magnitude earthquake and the 10-metre high tsunami it sent surging into cities and villages, sweeping away everything in its path. In one of the worst-hit residential areas, people buried under rubble could be heard calling out "help" and "when are we going to be rescued", Kyodo news agency reported. Japan may have hours to prevent nuclear meltdown Japanese officials may only have hours to cool reactors that have been disabled by Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami or face a nuclear meltdown. Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T) is racing to cool down the reactor core after a highly unusual "station blackout" -- the total loss of power necessary to keep water circulating through the plant to prevent overheating. Daiichi Units 1, 2 and 3 reactors shut down automatically at 2:46 p.m. local time due to the earthquake. But about an hour later, the on-site diesel back-up generators also shut, leaving the reactors without alternating current (AC) power. [ REUTERS ] Radiation 1,000 times higher than normal detected at nuke plantThe amount of radiation reached around 1,000 times the normal level Saturday in the control room of the No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said. The discovery suggests radioactive steam could spread around the facility operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. [ KYODO NEWS ]
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