Japan raises Fukushima accident level to worst
April 12th, 2011 - 8:33 am ICT by IANSMoscow, April 12 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Japanese government has assigned the maximum severity level to nuclear accident at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Kyodo news agency said Tuesday citing government sources.
The maximum, seventh level on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) is described as a “major event” and leads to “a major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects.”
So far, the seventh level had been assigned only to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
The disaster was earlier classified as a category five event, or an “accident with wider consequences,” which leads to a “limited release of radioactive material”.
Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant was damaged by a magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan March 11.
Fukushima’s operator has since been struggling to stop radioactive leaks from the plant’s crippled reactors.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Monday, residents in areas between 20 and 30 km around Fukushima would be advised to evacuate due to accumulated radiation exposure levels.
Despite growing concern of radioactive fallout on the Russian territory, the Russian emergencies ministry said that radiation levels in Russia’s Far East remained within the norm and ranged from 11 to 16 micro roentgen per hour Tuesday.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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- TEPCO to cleanup radioactive debris from n-plant by July - Apr 25, 2011
- Japan lifts milk restrictions from areas near n-plant - May 01, 2011
- Fresh radioactive water leakage at Fukushima n-plant - Jan 22, 2012
- Japan n-plant crisis may be worse than Chernobyl (Second Lead) - Apr 12, 2011
- Japan farmers from disaster zone demand compensation - Aug 04, 2011
- Japan urges end of nuclear industry - Aug 01, 2011
- Tokyo operator to be banned from Fukushima n-plant - Apr 24, 2011
- UN chief to visit Chernobyl next week - Apr 13, 2011
- Russia reports normal radiation level - Apr 16, 2011
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