http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/03/update_japans_nuclear_crisis.htmlThe situation at the Fukushima Daiichi power station is evolving rapidly this morning. Last night, even as operators took the drastic measure of filling reactor #1 with seawater to prevent a metldown, officials declared an emergency at the plant's reactor #3. According to a statement from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the crisis arose after the injection of cooling water into the reactor core was interrupted.
Reports from the broadcaster NHK paint a grim picture inside unit 3: Fuel elements appear to have been exposed, and hydrogen gas has been vented into the surrounding structure—raising fears of another explosion like the one that rocked unit 1 on Saturday. According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, seawater and boric acid are now being injected into the unit to try and avert a meltdown.
Meanwhile Kyodo news is reporting peak radiation levels of around 1,557 ?Sv (presumably per hour) around the plant.<more>
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