Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear powerplant

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597804576194123030511478.html

MARCH 11, 2011, 5:53 P.M. ET

At Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi plant, three reactors shut down automatically as designed after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck off the northeast of Japan on Friday afternoon. The quake also caused diesel-powered generators used to cool the reactors to stop operating, leaving the utility company with a shortage of coolant to bring the reactors to a safe temperature.

Japan is battling to stave off a nuclear disaster after an explosion at a north-eastern nuclear plant in the wake of the enormous earthquake and tsunami.

Authorities are evacuating tens of thousands of residents living within a 12 mile (20km) radius of the Fukushima Daiichi plant and those within 6 miles of a second installation in Futuba, 150 miles north of Tokyo.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/12/fukushima-nuclear-blast-japan-alert

New video of explosion at the Fukushima Plant. Note the visible shockwave at the start of the clip.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/12/explosion-confirmed-at-japanese-nuclear-plant/?xid=rss-topstories