15 Mar (NucNet): There has been an explosion at unit 2 of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant and the spent fuel storage pool at unit 4 has been on fire with radioactivity being released directly into the atmosphere.
Japanese authorities told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the explosion occurred at around 06:10 on 15 March 2011 local Japan time.
Dose rates of up to 400 millisievert per hour have been reported at the site. The Japanese authorities are saying that there is a possibility that the fire in the storage pool area of unit 4 was caused by a hydrogen explosion.
The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) said damage is suspected to unit 2’s inner or primary containment vessel (PCV).
JAIF also said Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) had reported that the fire at the storage pool had been extinguished.
Staff and workers, apart from 50 Tepco employees involved in the water injection operation trying to cool the plant’s damaged reactor units 1 to 3, have been evacuated.
There was an explosion at unit 3 yesterday and at unit 1 on 12 March, but according to JAIF the PCVs at those units have not been damaged.
The government has announced that evacuation measures are being extended from the present 20-kilometre zone to 30 kilometres.
>>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Tepco Confirms Venting Of Unit 1, ‘Reactor Not Affected’ By Explosion (News in Brief No. 55, 12 March 2011)
Japan Says Containments Are Intact At All Fukushima-Daiichi Units (News in Brief No. 57, 13 March 2011)
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