Japan’s nuclear plant evacuated

• Sharp increase in radiation from Fukushima plant • Smoke rising from badly damaged No 3 reactor • Another fire seen within No 4 reactor building • Reactor workers ordered out for health reasons • Earthquake felt in Shizuoka, south-west of Tokyo • Read the Guardian’s latest news story on the explosions 10.04am (7.04pm JST): A quick clarification to my 9.51am update – it seems it was Japan’s military who announced that the helicopters could not drop water due to high radiation levels. 10.00am (7pm JST): The operators of the Fukushima’s Daiichi plant, Tokyo Electric Power, or Tepco, are also holding a press conference. Water is now being poured into reactors No 5 and No 6, they say, according to Reuters. 9.51am (6.51pm JST): The update about the radiation levels preventing helicopters dropping water (9.21am) appears to come from another media briefing by the government’s chief spokesman, Yukio Edano. At the same time he has stressed that there is no immediate risk to health around the plant, and that the hope is instead to inject water into the stricken reactor four from ground level. 9.37am (6.37pm JST): It’s time now for a summary: • The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant remains extremely perilous and seemingly beyond the control of authorities . Staff at the plant were evacuated for a period this morning after radiation levels rose. A fire broke out at the No 3 reactor, sending a plume of light grey smoke – possibly radioactive steam – above the plant. Helicopters carried containers of water above the complex but were unable to dump them, reportedly due to the high radiation levels. • The country faces an increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis caused by the direct effects of Friday’s huge earthquake a resultant tsunami, one made worse by freezing weather . The official death toll has now hit 3,676, with 7,845 people registered as unaccounted for. Survivors, many of them homeless, are struggling with a wave of cold weather forecast to last well into this week, with night time temperatures dipping to -5C in some places. • Japan’s emperor, Akihito, has made a rare TV appearance to express his condolences to his people and his worry at the nuclear situation. • Following its precipitous plunge yesterday, Tokyo’s stock market bounced back nearly 6% . Japan’s central bank has injected a further $40bn into the financial markets. 9.21am (6.21pm JST): Kyodo news has a slightly worrying update, in a breaking news item on its website – the military helicopters seen over the Fukushima nuclear plant (8.06am) have been unable to drop any water “due to high radiation”. 8.53am (5.53pm JST): Below is a TV screengrab, via Reuters, of Emperor Akihito’s address to the nation. Here’s also a couple more quotes from the 77-year-old who, let’s remember, is by tradition a more remote and detached figure than most heads of states, even compared to his fellow monarchs: I hope from the bottom of my heart that the people will, hand in hand, treat each other with compassion and overcome these difficult times… I am deeply concerned about the nuclear situation because it is unpredictable. – 8.40am (5.40pm JST): Tania Branigan has been speaking again to Professor David Hinde , head of the department of nuclear physics at the Australian National University. He says that the status of the spent fuel pools at the Fukushima plant is very concerning. Water levels are reportedly dropping in unit 4, and the temperature of the pools in 5 and 6 are now rising. It is clearly a serious situation now because there is no containment for those spent fuel pools… My feeling is that they are probably a more serious issue now than the reactors, [where] there’s at least a degree of containment remaining. Spent fuel rods are strongly radioactive and the water above them shields against that radiation so as long as the water level is sufficiently high – you can walk up to the edge of the pool and pour a bucket of water in. Once it is even close to the top of the rods the levels are too high to approach the pool, which is clearly what has happened in unit 4. It’s been suggested that the Japanese Self Defence Force could use helicopters to drop water onto the plant (see 8.06am). But even if the military is willing to risk exposing pilots to radiation, Hinde says this is far easier said than done: My estimates suggest they might need 50 tonnes an hour of water. You could do that easily with a large bore hosepipe but if you are doing it with helicopters it is a lot more difficult – and harder to get the water into the pool. I very much hope they rig up a temporary pipe works in 5 and 6 to pump water in remotely to avoid reaching this situation. He said the ideal situation would be to re-establish the cooling system, which seems to have been knocked out by the tsunami. 8.31am: (5.31pm JST) It’s worth noting, too, that large areas of Japan are still being rattled by strong aftershocks. The Chiba region in the east of the country experienced a 6.0 magnitude quake at lunchtime, Jiji Press reports . 8.24am (5.24pm JST): Reuters have out together a useful timeline of how the nuclear emergency has unfolded since Friday. It’s a bit long to paste into the blog, but you can read it here . What struck me was the number of times various authorities have assured everyone that the situation is under control. 8.16am (5.16pm JST): Amid the understandable focus on the nuclear drama, it’s important not to forget the sheer scale of human tragedy already brought about by Friday’s quake and tsunami. This is currently being increased by the freezing weather, mentioned by Tania already (5.57am). To reinforce that point, here’s a screengrab from the BBC of the next couple of days of forecast weather for Sendai: – 8.06am (5.06pm JST): Japan’s military is flying helicopters above the Fukushima plant carrying seawater in giant containers, to be dropped into the number three reactor. Here’s a screengrab from NHK’s coverage of the operation. The helicopters are having to pass over the site repeatedly to avoid excessive radiation contamination and no water has yet been dropped. – 7.55am (4.55pm JST): This is Peter Walker, taking over from Tania. AP has a first translated quote from the emperor: “”We don’t know the number of victims, but I pray that every single person can be saved.” 7.49am (4.49pm JST): The emperor has urged people not to give up hope after a disaster “unprecedented in scale”, but says he is “deeply worried”. He has acknowledged that the problems at the nuclear reactors are unpredictable. And yes, apparently these are his first public comments since the earthquake and tsunami. 7.43am (4.43pm JST): My colleague Justin McCurry says that Emperor Akihito is now addressing the nation on television; we think this is his first public appearance since the earthquake. 7.39am (4.39pm JST): A few people have been asking in the comments about the fact that radiation levels we have quoted in the last couple of days seem to differ so wildly. A few points to make here: Firstly, we are entirely dependent on the figures that Tepco and the Japanese government release. They are giving individual readings rather than issuing a set of data that covers a given group of locations. (Ie, they are not giving us readings for different reactor buildings/around the plant/by the main gate every couple of hours). Secondly, it is clear that readings are fluctuating greatly over time and from place to place. For instance, NHK has just mentioned a reading of 6.4 millisieverts per hour at one location at 10am which had dropped to 2 millisieverts within nine minutes. Similarly, although we saw a very alarming measurement of 400 milliseiverts per hour at one point yesterday, other areas close by had far lower readings. Thirdly, the figures at the gate clearly don’t reflect the risks faced by all the workers inside the plant, who are of course in the greatest danger. They do, however, offer some indication of the broader risk so should be seen in that light. All that said, please let us know if you spot a specific error. 7.10am (4.10pm JST): A bit more detail on the spent fuel pool in reactor 4: NHK says its temperature has reached 89C, double the usual level. It has also confirmed that the temperatures in units 5 and 6 are higher than usual. All three units were off-line when the quake and tsunami hit, undergoing routine servicing. 6.45am (3.45pm JST): If you’re looking for a round-up of events at Fukushima No 1 plant this morning, my colleague Justin McCurry in Japan has a story here . 6.40am (3.40pm JST): Better news on the economic front, at least: stocks have rebounded, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 closing 5.68% up. According to the Financial Times, yesterday’s slump – which followed a bad day on Monday – was the Nikkei 225′s third largest daily drop in its history. 6.30am (3.30pm JST): As miwa points out in the comments below, Sir John Beddington – the UK’s chief scientific adviser – has briefed British expatriates that the Japanese government’s measures (a 20km exclusion zone round the plant and a warning to stay indoors if 20-30km away) are “entirely proportionate and appropriate to the risk”. More information is available at the British embassy’s website. China is evacuating its nationals from the north-east – ie closer to the stricken facility – citing its concerns about the plant and France has recommended that its citizens leave Tokyo. The Austrian embassy announced yesterday that it was moving to Osaka due to radiation fears. But like many more countries, the UK is not recommending that nationals leave the capital. Radiation levels there are slightly higher than normal, but nowhere near a level of concern, say experts. 6.12am (3.12pm JST): A useful summary of what we know about the status of the reactors at Fukushima No 1 plant, from Kyodo news agency : — Reactor No. 1 – Cooling failure, partial melting of core, vapor vented, building damaged Saturday by hydrogen explosion, seawater being pumped in. — Reactor No. 2 – Cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building damaged Monday by blast at Reactor No. 3, damage to containment vessel on Tuesday, potential meltdown feared. — Reactor No. 3 – Cooling failure, partial melting of core feared, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building damaged Monday by hydrogen explosion, high-level radiation measured nearby on Tuesday, plume of smoke observed Wednesday, damage to containment vessel likely. — Reactor No. 4 – Under maintenance when quake struck, fire Tuesday possibly caused by hydrogen explosion at pool holding spent fuel rods, pool water level not observed, fire observed Wednesday at building housing reactor, no water poured in to cool pool. — Reactor No. 5, No. 6 – Under maintenance when quake struck, temperature slightly rising in spent fuel pool. 6.07am (3.07pm JST): Broadcaster NHK reports problems with monitoring posts around the Fukushima plant, making it harder to keep track of the spread of radioactivity. They seem to have been affected by the power outages. It explains: The system, called SPEEDI, predicts how radioactive substances will spread in case of radiation leakage from nuclear power plants, based on measurements taken at various locations, prevailing winds and other weather conditions. SPEEDI data are intended to be used to draw up evacuation plans for residents around power plants in case of accidents. Bear in mind that inhabitants within a 20km radius of the plant have already been evacuated, and those between 20km and 30km away told to stay indoors. Many survivors are still packed into emergency shelters in the disaster zone, where food and fuel supplies are said to be running low. 5.57am (2.57pm JST): There’s a lot of concern about the conditions survivors face. NHK are reporting snow in Miyagi prefecture and the Japanese meteorological agency predicts snow in Iwate today with heavier falls tomorrow. Across the disaster zone, temperatures will drop as low as -5C overnight. The government’s chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, has asked the public not to panic-buy fuel, warning: ”The supply situation for fuel such as gasoline, heavy oil and light oil is worsening in the quake-hit areas.” The defence ministry has announced it is sharing some of its reserves, but needs to hold some back to avoid disrupting the rescue operations. Private enterprises are offering help but Kyodo reports that the Japan Business Federation’s chairman said the government needs a stronger command centre to channel assistance. ”The lack of a strong control tower is likely to have been dragging delivery of relief goods,” the chief of Japan’s most influential business lobby, known as Nippon Keidanren, told reporters, while urging the government to disclose accurate information. ”Though companies are trying to send relief supplies, they cannot secure fuel for returning,” Yonekura said, stressing that gasoline stations along expressways and supply roads are in need of swift supply of gasoline. 5.46am (2.46pm JST): More from Fukushima: Reuters is reporting that authorities plan to bulldoze an emergency route to crippled reactor No.4 to allow access for fire trucks, although it appears this morning’s blaze is now out. The unit was not operating when the earthquake hit but was storing spent fuel rods. Kyodo says that workers the facility have been unable to pour water into the pool containing the spent fuel rods because of high radiation levels. Tepco, the plant’s operators, are considering spraying the reactor with boric acid from overhead, warning: ”The possibility of recriticality is not zero”. Kyodo has just flashed up a statement that winds are preventing Self Defence Force helicopters from dousing it with water, citing an unnamed minister. 5.24am (2.24pm JST): A colleague points out that Couchsurfing has set up a site for people displaced by the disasters. People are offering space in Hiroshima, Osaka, Yokohama and numerous other cities. 5.21am (2.21pm JST): Seoul’s Yonhap news agency is reporting that South Korea will send part of its reserve of boric acid – used to slow down fission reactions – to its neighbour. Japan has used up most of its own stockpile to try to cool down the reactor cores. 5.15am (2.15pm JST): A quick update on casualties from the earthquake and tsunami: the national police agency is saying that 3,676 deaths are confirmed and 7,845 people are registered as unaccounted for. But Japanese media have pointed out that many bodies have been found but not identified. The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts has reported from Ishinomaki on how authorities are struggling to deal with the dead and are now contemplating mass burials. This is Tania Branigan in Beijing taking over from Richard 4.50am: Japan’s health ministry announced the rise in the legal radiation exposure limit because workers could no longer get close enough to the Fukushima Daiichi No 4 reactor for urgent attempts to repair the reactor’s cooling system. The ministry raised the level two and a half times, to 250 millseiverts. Earlier, Kyodo news agency said 730 out of a total of 800 workers had been evacuated from the site. “The workers cannot carry out even minimal work at the plant now,” chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano told a press conference. “Because of the radiation risk we are on standby.” 4.36am: To make sense of all this, it appears that reactor no 4 was badly damaged by the hydrogen explosions in nearby reactors, and it is possible that the unit’s water level has disappeared entirely. Tepco said that water in a pool storing the spent fuel rods may be boiling and that its level may have dropped, exposing the rods. The government ordered the firm to inject water into the pool ”as soon as possible to avert a major nuclear disaster.” Due to high radiation levels at the reactor, workers have been unable to pour water into the troubled pool. 4.13am: More bad news: Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the radiation level at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant reached 10 millisievert per hour at one point on Wednesday morning, possibly due to the damage at its No 2 reactor the day before, the government’s nuclear safety agency said. The maximum level was measured at the plant’s front gate at 10:40am. It fell to 6.4 millisievert at 10:45am and to 2.3 millisievert at 10:54am but rose again to about 3.4 millisievert at 11am according to Kyodo 4am: Japan’s nuclear nightmare continues, as the situation at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant remains grave and the latest developments within the crippled reactors show a further deterioration. Here is a round-up of the latest news: • Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano announced that the containment vessel of the Fukushima Daiichi No 3 reactor is thought to have been severely damaged and may have leaked radioactive steam, emitting high-level radiation. • Japan’s nuclear safety agency required Fukushima plant workers to evacuate the site due to high radiation levels, but the government later upped the legal radiation exposure level, allowing work to continue inside the plant. • Smoke was seen rising from the No 3 reactor from the early hours of Wednesday morning. • The No 4 reactor remains a source of major concern, with gaping holes in the reactor’s outer building and another fire within the reactor was spotted at 5.45am JST that may have lasted half an hour. The reactor’s internal temperature rose to 84C as cooling remained difficult. • Japan’s central bank has injected a further $40bn into the financial markets, meaning that the Bank of Japan has added nearly $330bn in liquidity in the last three days. The Nikkei stock exchange has rebounded a little as manufacturing companies announce the resumption of production. 3.30am: Good morning. There is news just coming from Japan that a surge in radiation at the Fukushima power plant mean workers were unable to continue even minimal efforts to work there. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has said that work on dousing reactors with water was disrupted when workers were forced to withdraw after radiation levels surged early in the day. This follows reports that a white plume of smoke has been seen rising from the crippled nuclear plant’s No 3 reactor. Japan earthquake and tsunami Japan Nuclear power Natural disasters and extreme weather Fukushima plant status Richard Adams Lee Glendinning Tania Branigan Peter Walker guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 16, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.