THE world is waiting to see if Japan has avoided a nuclear catastrophe as the crisis from Friday's earthquake and tsunami worsens. With a confirmed death toll of more than 1000 and at least 10,000 unaccounted for from the biggest earthquake in its recorded history, Japanese authorities were desperately trying to avoid a nuclear meltdown while reassuring citizens the situation was under control.
But some US nuclear physicists have warned we might be watching another Chernobyl.
The international community has leapt to Japan's aid while simultaneously watching with growing concern at developments at Fukushima atomic power plants No.1 and 2, some 240km northeast of Tokyo.
Tokyo Electric Power technicians worked into the night, announcing yesterday that..
the cooling system of reactor No.3 had shut down and the last-ditch step of pumping sea water into the reactor was under way to avoid a meltdown.
This followed the explosion on Saturday of a turbine room at reactor No.1 that led to the evacuation of 200,000 people from within a 20km radius.
Dozens have so far been exposed to radiation and the Government has now established screening centres in the region to monitor further exposures. Iodine has also been distributed as a counter measure to the effects of radiation.
A total meltdown will potentially create a contaminated area of up to 80km.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the radiation posed no risk here, and that Australia had pledged all the support it could.
www.heraldsun.com
No comments:
Post a Comment