Filed under: News
In the wake of the devastating 8.9 earthquake that ravaged Japan Friday afternoon, the fears of the Japanese government and nuclear industry have been realized.
After Saturday's hydrogen explosion in Unit 1 of Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, a predicted second explosion occurred in Unit 3, injuring six workers. Citizens within a 12-mile radius were evacuated.
The fifth largest recorded temblor in world history has set off a chain of cataclysmic events, including a 28-foot-tall tsunami, which combined, have claimed an estimated 10,000 lives, leaving millions of survivors in frigid temperatures without water, power or food.
Due to the lack of electricity, the coolant systems of the Dai-ichi plant failed, leaving experts scrambling to find ways to avoid a complete radioactive meltdown. To prevent the entire structure from exploding, officials decided to reduce rising pressure inside the reactor vessel by releasing steam buildup.
They were aware that the steam contained hydrogen and could possibly explode; yet even with such a risky maneuver, the threat has not been completely resolved.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior official of the economy, trade and industry ministry, did not paint an optimistic picture for the embattled region as he implied at a press conference that the damage could be worse than has currently been reported:
"I don't think the fuel rods themselves have been spared damage," Nishiyama said, according to the Kyodo News agency.
The Associated Press is reporting that more than 180,000 people have evacuated the area and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation, some requiring medical attention. The number of military emergency responders has jumped from 51,000 to 100,000, as damage is also being reported at three other nuclear plants.
"First I was worried about the quake," said Kenji Koshiba, a construction worker who lives near one of the nuclear plants. "Now I'm worried about radiation."
About 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure, officials said.
While fears of complete nuclear meltdowns have been sidestepped by officials, the ramifications of that occurring are deadly and far reaching. According to experts interviewed by the Associated Press, any melted fuel would eat through the bottom of the reactor vessel. Next, it would eat through the floor of the already-damaged containment building. At that point, the uranium and dangerous by-products would start escaping into the environment. This could potentially lead to radiation deaths, mutation of plants, increased cancer development and contamination of food and water supplies.
In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said:
"The earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear incident have been the biggest crisis Japan has encountered in the 65 years since the end of World War II."
"Whether we Japanese can overcome this crisis depends on each of us," he continued. "I strongly believe that we can get over this great earthquake and tsunami by joining together.
Japan has a total of 55 reactors spread across 17 complexes nationwide.
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