Smoke billows from fires raging at the port in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 following a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11. Japan battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast where more than 10,000 were feared dead. An explosion at the ageing Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant blew apart the building housing one of its reactors on March 12, a day after the biggest quake ever recorded in Japan unleashed a monster 10-metre (33-foot) tsunami.
Smoke billows from fires raging at the port in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 following a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The colossal 8.9-magnitude tremor sent waves of mud and debris racing over towns and farming land in Japan’s northeast, destroying all before it and leaving the coast a swampy wasteland. Authorities battled a feared meltdown of two nuclear reactors, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast with thousands feared dead.
A large tank sits on a debris covered field in the city of Iwanuma in Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 two days after a massive 8.9 magnitude quake and tsunami hit the region. Japan desperately tried to bring an overheating nuclear reactor under control on March 13, as the full horror of its quake-tsunami disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast with thousands feared dead.
A cyclist rides past a giant banner ‘Nuclear kills the future’ during a nearby demonstration on March 13, 2011 on the Parvis des droits de l’homme (Human rights Esplanade at the Trocadero) in Paris, called by French ‘Sortir du nucleaire’ (Get out of nuclear) association demanding an end to nuclear policy in the wake of the nuclear emergency in Japan. Japan battled a nuclear emergency today in which the government said two partial meltdowns may have taken place and radiation had escaped from reactors at a quake-damaged atomic power plant. The 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,000 dead, at least 10,000 missing and seriously damaged a nuclear power plant.
Two people wear masks during a demonstration on March 13, 2011 in Paris, on the Parvis des droits de l’homme (Human rights Esplanade at the Trocadero) called by French ‘Sortir du nucleaire’ (Get out of nuclear) association demanding an end to nuclear policy in the wake of the nuclear emergency in Japan. Japan battled a nuclear emergency today in which the government said two partial meltdowns may have taken place and radiation had escaped from reactors at a quake-damaged atomic power plant.
This April 4, 2010 image released by GeoEye shows an area of Natori, Japan. An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, causing a tsunami that devastated the region.
This March 12, 2010 image released by GeoEye shows an area of Natori, Japan. An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, causing a tsunami that devastated the region.
Smoke billows from fires raging at the port in Tagajo, Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 following a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11. Japan battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast where more than 10,000 were feared dead. An explosion at the ageing Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant blew apart the building housing one of its reactors on March 12, a day after the biggest quake ever recorded in Japan unleashed a monster 10-metre (33-foot) tsunami.
A burnt ship floats in the sea in Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture, Sunday, March 13, 2011 after Japan’s biggest recorded earthquake hit its eastern coast Friday.
Cars smashed by the tsunami sit piled together next to a power grid to the east of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 two days after a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the region. Japan battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant on March 13, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast with thousands feared dead.
CORRECTION CITYPeople queue for remaining supplies before they run out at a supermarket in Miyagi on March 13, 2011 two days after a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the region. Japan battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant on March 13, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast with thousands feared dead.
People pump for fresh water outside a school east of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture on March 13, 2011 two days after a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the region. Japan battled a feared meltdown of two reactors at a quake-hit nuclear plant on March 13, as the full horror of the disaster emerged on the ravaged northeast coast with thousands feared dead.
Bencana nuklear dunia
SENDAI, Jepun 13 Mac – Pihak berkuasa Jepun berusaha mencegah satu lagi ancaman radiasi di dua buah reaktor nuklear di Fukushima hari ini, selepas sistem penyejuknya gagal berfungsi sekali gus boleh mengakibatkan bencana nuklear terburuk di dunia dalam tempoh 25 tahun.
Syarikat pengendali Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) terpaksa menggunakan air laut dan asid borik bagi menyejukkan reaktor No. 1 selepas satu letupan memusnahkan bumbung dan dinding bangunan konkrit itu semasa mereka cuba melepaskan tekanan semalam.
Struktur tangki reaktor nuklear itu bagaimanapun tidak terjejas.
Selain itu, pengendali reaktor tersebut turut membebaskan udara daripada tangki simpanan reaktor No. 3 bagi mengurangkan tekanan dan mengelak kerosakan.
“Kami belum tahu status sebenar bahan api di bahagian teras reaktor itu. Kami perlu mengenal pasti keadaan teras itu sama ada ia tertutup, rosak atau bahan api kini sedang cair,” kata pakar nuklear, Mark Hibbs daripada Pembiayaan Keamanan Antarabangsa Carnegie.
Ancaman yang dihadapi Jepun itu dibimbangi boleh mengulangi bencana nuklear di loji nuklear Chernobyl, Ukraine pada 26 April 1986, selepas bahan radioaktifnya dilepaskan ke udara dalam satu letupan kuat.
Sekurang-kurangnya 32 maut akibat kesan secara langsung letupan dan 8,000 yang lain mengalami kesan pencemaran radioaktif.
Lebih 120,000 yang lain terpaksa dipindahkan, sementara tahap pencemaran radiasi turut diukur sejauh barat Eropah.
Semalam, beribu-ribu penduduk di bandar sama dipindahkan berikutan letupan dan kebocoran yang berlaku di pusat reaktor No.1 di Fukushima, kira-kira 240 kilometer di utara Tokyo.
Catatan
