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Japan’s Nuclear Crisis Escalates

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As Japan struggles to contain a spiraling nuclear crisis, another fire has broken out at the quake-crippled No. 4 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, raising fears of more radiation contamination.

The fire struck early on Wednesday at the building housing the No.4 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, said Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the plant’s operator.

Workers saw a blaze erupt at 5:45 am (2110 GMT) at the northwestern corner of the building’s fourth floor and about 30 minutes later, the smoke and fire could no longer be seen within 10 meters away, public broadcaster NHK reported.

It is the second fire to hit the spent fuel storage pond at the No.4 reactor in just over 24 hours, signaling a deterioration in the situation.

On Tuesday, a fire broke out in the same reactor’s fuel storage pond, an area where used nuclear fuel is kept cool, sending radiation into the atmosphere.

Tokyo Electric Power said the new blaze erupted because the initial fire had not been fully extinguished.

Unlike other three reactors that saw explosions over the past few days, the No. 4 reactor was shut down for maintenance when the quake and tsunami struck last Friday.

Reactors in the No. 5 and No. 6 units also saw an increase in temperatures, although there have been no reports of abnormalcies or explosions.

Also on Tuesday, an aftershock measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted eastern Honshu, Japan, according to the China Earthquake Network Center.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10km, was monitored at 35.3 degrees north latitude and 138.5 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement. – BuaNews-Xinhua

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.