Concerned for Australians missing in Japan? Call DFAT on +1300 555 135
8.19am The nuclear power quandry summed up neatly in two phrases by Reuters columnist Devra Davis. The president of the Environmental Health Trust and award-winning scientist balances this:
"Nuclear-powered energy appears to be one of the greenest forms of energy in the world, because it releases no carbon-containing greenhouse gases when working."
with this:
"Girls who worked hand-painting clock dials with luminescent radioactive paint and wet their brushes with their tongues to craft fine lines lost their jawbones years later."
7.58am TOLL UPDATE: Six days after the earthquake struck, there's still no way to comprehend the scale of the disaster in terms of loss of human life. The most reliable estimate is an official "unaccounted for" tally of 12,920. Of those, 4314 are confirmed dead.
Outside of that are these likely large-scale losses:
- Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture - 10,000 missing
- Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture - 10,000 missing
- Honshu island - 55,000 homes destroyed
7.21am All your questions about nuclear fallout answered by the New York Times team, including this remarkable fact:
"...About 98 percent of a person’s dose comes from drinking contaminated milk, and if fallout were to reach here (again, unlikely) most people could protect themselves by not drinking milk or eating dairy products. "
6.42am Are you in danger of radiation poisoning? Nerves are fraying across the Pacific as media outlets deploy graphics such as these portraying the possible spread of contaminated clouds from the Philippines to Canada.
Australia's food safety authority is also keeping a close eye on wasabi, seawood and noodle imports. In the meantime, here's a checklist outlining 16 signs of radiation poisoning.
5.20am A rare televised address by Emperor Akihito has emphasised the gravity of the crisis gripping Japan - it is the first time he has intervened in a national crisis.
He said he was "deeply concerned" about the "unpredictable" situation at the stricken Fukushima No.1 power plant, adding, "I sincerely hope that we can keep the situation from getting worse."
4.25am Kyodo is reporting the US military plans to fly an unmanned plane over Fukushima, equipped with infrared sensors in an effort to gauge what is happening. An earlier attempt to douse the plant with water from a helicopter was unsuccessful after radiation levels proved too high.
4.04am IAEA secretary general Yukiya Amano said in a press conference he plans to go to Japan as early as tomorrow and urged Japan to provide better information to the agency.
"There are too many elements that we do not know yet. So it is too early for us to pass judgement on their efforts," - Yukiya Amano
He did confirm that core damage had occurred to three units at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
"The situation ... is very serious."
Secretary General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano. Picture: AP
3.48am Some good news, Lady Gaga has reportedly raised $253,000 in 48 hours for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan by selling plastic wristbands that say "We pray for Japan".
3.07am Kyodo news agency is reporting new plumes of smoke appear to be coming from the building housing Reactor No. 3.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said in the morning that the smoke from the nuclear plant was identified from about 8:30 a.m. and it was possible that ''steam has been released from the (No. 3) reactor's containment vessel.''
This grim news comes as the International Atomic Energy Agency reports core damage at units 1-3 has been confirmed.
Reiko Miura, 68, cries as she looks for her sister's son at a tsunami-hit area in Otsuchi. Picture: AP
Japan's Self Defence Force soldiers search for missing people in a snow covered field in Miyako. Picture: AFP
2.40am Reuters is reporting the EU's Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has said the situation in Japan is "effectively out of control".
"There could be catastrophic events within the coming hours. The cooling systems did not work, and as a result we are somewhere between a disaster and a major disaster." - Günther Oettinger
This stands in contrast to two nuclear experts who are taking questions on the Reuters live blog now. They are urging calm and stressing information out of the region does not indicate such a conclusion, however they admit they do not have all the information.
"Most of the material would be expected to fall to the ground quickly, and not be carried long distances. (In contrast to the Chernobyl accident, where a graphite fire lifted radioactive material into the upper atmosphere, which was then carried all over the globe)," - Dr Peter Caracappa
Survivors brave falling snow at Sendai, Miyagi prefecture. Picture: AP
2.08am The University of Canterbury in New Zealand has created an interactive map showing the seismic activity which has hit Japan. The sheer number of aftershocks is staggering. Change the time setting at the top right hand side.
1.40am There is a worrying account from Australians trapped in Tokyo who are pleading for government support to leave Japan as the threat of a nuclear catastrophe looms.
A graphic showing the locations of the troubled nuclear plants in Japan.
1.11am Japan's health ministry says at least 1.6 million households are still without water.
1.06am Tragic news. NHK World is reporting the death toll has risen to 4340 confirmed deaths. Including 2207 in Miyagi Prefecture and 1545 in Iwate Prefecture. More than 9,000 others are still missing.
A ship is beached amongst the rubble of a village destroyed by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma. Picture: Getty Images
1.05am The BBC is reporting the US military has sent two fire trucks to help with fires at one of Japan's nuclear plants, but the Pentagon says it has not been asked to use its troops for the developing nuclear crisis.
12.58am Kyodo news agency is now reporting water injection into spent fuel pools at No. 3 and No. 4 reactors are being undertaken as a priority. They quote the country's nuclear agency as saying the spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 3 is increasing in heat and has begun emitting steam.
12.52am Underwater telecommunications cables between Taiwan and the US have been damaged by Friday's earthquake (AFP).
12.50am The BBC has noticed an apology for an "abnormal noise" coming from the plant on the website for Fukushima plant operators TEPCO:
"We are aware of and sincerely apologize for the great distress and inconvenience this incident has caused to not just those inhabitants residing in the immediate vicinity but also society at large," - TEPCO
The website also has updates and press-releases from TEPCO.
A red flag indicating bodies are laid flaps in the wind at a devastated area in Rikuzentakata. Picture: AP
12.35am China's Xinhua news agency is reporting
the country will donate 10,000 tonnes of diesel and 10,000 tonnes of gasoline to Japan to help counter shortages.
12.25am Thai authorities have announced they will distribute potassium iodide tablets to citizens travelling to Japan to protect against radiation from the damaged nuclear plants. Potassium iodide protects the thyroid gland against cancer by blocking absorption of radioactive iodine. Supplies in Japan have become short, and panic buying has been reported as far away as North America (AP).
12.20am The Japanese PM's office has launched a new English-language Twitter account which "mainly updates the situation of the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake".
12.17am The number of Australians unaccounted for in Japan has dropped to 55 according to DFAT.
11.51pm The Guardian has this troubling article interviewing scientists about the situation at the Fukushima nuclear plant. They are very concerned about the possibility of a fire in the spent fuel pools.
"The spent fuel pool in unit 4 is boiling, and once that starts you can't stop it," - Jim Riccio, a nuclear expert at Greenpeace.
"The threat is that if you boil off the water, the metal cladding on the fuel rods that is exposed to the air, and is volatile, will catch fire. That will propel the radiation even further."
Tsunami survivors' notes seeking information about their missing relatives and friends put up on the entrance of Natori City Hall in Natori. Picture: AP
11.34pm Kyodo has this useful breakdown of the status of the reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.
- Reactor No. 1 - Suspended after quake, cooling failure, partial melting of core, vapor vented, building damaged Saturday by hydrogen explosion, seawater being pumped in.
- Reactor No. 2 - Suspended after quake, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing reactor damaged Monday by blast at reactor No. 3, damage to containment vessel on Tuesday, potential meltdown feared.
- Reactor No. 3 - Suspended after quake, cooling failure, partial melting of core feared, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing reactor damaged Monday by hydrogen explosion, high-level radiation measured nearby on Tuesday, plume of smoke observed Wednesday, damage to containment vessel likely.
- Reactor No. 4 - Under maintenance when quake struck, fire Tuesday possibly caused by hydrogen explosion at pool holding spent fuel rods, abnormal temperature rise in spent-fuel storage pool but water level not observed, fire observed Wednesday at building housing reactor, no water poured in to cool pool, spraying of boric acid being considered.
- Reactors No. 5, No. 6 - Under maintenance when quake struck, temperatures slightly rising in spent-fuel storage pools.
11.12pm The Kyodo breaking feed is reporting the Japanese government has said it is unlikely Reactor No.3 has sustained major damage to its containment vessel.
10.58pm Matters are becoming increasingly desperate at the Fukushima plant.
NHK is reporting the Japanese government has upped the amount of radiation staff can legally be exposed to. Staff can now be exposed to 250 millisieverts in cases of emergency. NHK notes this is still below the general international standard of 500 millisieverts.
Kyodo news agency is reporting tap water readings in Fukushima are now showing iodine or cesium and that Japanese police are considering using a special water cannon truck to attempt to cool a pool storing spent fuel rods at the troubled No. 4 reactor.
British search and rescue workers search under a roof in Ofunato. Picture: AP
A man rides a bicycle past houses destroyed in the city of Kesennuma in Miyagi. Picture: AFP
10.11pm The Japanese defense minister has called up reservists from the Self Defence Forces to join relief efforts in areas hit by the earthquake and tsunami, according to JiJi press.
10.08pm China is the latest country to inspect its nuclear power stations as the crisis continues at Fukushima. Government officials said they will examine power stations currently under construction and that any failing to meet safety standards will be immediately halted. It has also frozen approvals on new plants (Reuters).
9.40pm The Japanese government says radiation from the nuclear plant poses no immediate health threat outside the zone they have already evacuated. Authorities earlier moved tens of thousands of people out of the area within 20 kilometres of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 plant (AFP).
9.21pm TEPCO says it is pouring water into reactors 5 and 6 in an attempt to cool them (Reuters). This comes as it emerges the helicopter mission to drop water onto Reactor No. 3 was aborted because radiation levels have become too high (NHK).
9.17pm Reuters is reporting cabinet secretary Edano has said Japan will consider setting up a ministry of reconstruction for what is likely to be at least five years of reconstruction.
8.56pm Hoax messages warning about radiation spreading beyond Japan have stoked growing unease throughout Asia. Purporting to be a BBC newsflash, hoax text messages and emails telling people to stay inside and swab their thyroid glands with iodine solution to guard against radiation sickness, and have been reported as far afield as India.
8.47pm Statistics on Australians in Japan from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as at 7.30pm (AEDT) today:
Number of calls received in Canberra: 9009;
Australians in Japan confirmed safe: 3539;
Number registered in Japan: 3949;
Number safe in affected areas: 163;
Number of Australians unaccounted for: 58.
8.38pm A pool containing spent fuel rods at Fukushima's No. 4 reactor "is the major concern" in Japan's nuclear crisis, presenting the risk of radioactivity being released directly into the air, a French safety agency said. The deep tank at the reactor unit contains used fuel rods which are extremely radioactive and normally are kept immersed in cooling water.
8.13pm Survivors and rescue crews in disaster-stricken regions - already facing an acute lack of water, supplies and fuel, power blackouts and poor telecommunications - have had their troubles compounded by snow flurries over roads and rubble.
8.08pm A mission to spray water on the damaged No. 3 reactor at the stricken Fukushima plant using a helicopter has been aborted because of safety concerns, broadcaster NHK reported.
7.45pm A Japanese military helicopter has been deployed on a mission to dump water from a huge bucket onto fuel rods at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant. The Self-Defence Forces twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook was shown taking off and flying to the plant by public television NHK.
7.07pm Toyota will resume partial production of car parts at seven plants in Japan tomorrow.
6.55pm JAPAN'S Emperor Akihito said he was praying for the safety of the people in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami. In a rare TV interview he said:
The number of people killed is increasing day by day and we do not know how many people have fallen victim. I pray for the safety of as many people as possible.
6.25pm Melbourne teacher Ren Gregoric, 22, accused local authorities of failing to reveal the extent of the danger from radiation leaking from the crippled Dai-ichi power plant in northern Japan.
He said as a result locals were largely oblivious to the deadly potential of the radiation and he had to plead with fellow expatriates to join him.
6.05pm Indonesia has confirmed it plans to go ahead with plans to build four nuclear reactors near a volatile fault line, despite the ongoing crisis in Japan, insisting theirs will be safe.
5.35pm Meanwhile the effects of the double disaster to hit Japan are already being felt across the US with thousands of wildlife wiped out near Hawaii and the American tourism industry set to tumble from the downturn in Japanese tourists.
Japanese tourists, who bring an estimated $1.93bn into the US economy a year, are expected to take a sharp dive and account for the fourth largest numbers of visitors to the US, MarketWatch reported.
5.15pm Japan has issued an urgent call for assistance for thousands of refugees sheltered near the Fukushima nuclear plant. Koriyama city mayor Masao Hara said the region urgently needed supplies of oil, food and water.
5pm The number of Australians who remain missing has been revised to 94, according to Sky News.
4.50pm Food Standards Australia New Zealand said a probe was now underway to assess a narrow band of imported products including seaweed, wasabi and soy sauce for evidence of potential contamination.
4.24pm The official toll of the dead and missing following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that flattened Japan's northeast coast has topped 11,000, with 3676 confirmed dead, police said. The total number of people unaccounted for in the wake of Friday's twin disasters rose by more than 800 to 7558, the national police agency said in its latest update. The number of injured stood at 1990.
4.20pm An Australian living in Japan has told the ABC he is growing incredibly nervous about the unfolding nuclear crisis. James Brown, who lives 80kms from the stricken plant told the ABC:
It's pretty tough and concerning situation as you can imagine. You don't know whether to sit and stay and ride it out or take the bolt immediately.
4.02pm A clock that appears to indicate the time when a tsunami struck lies among the rubble in the city of Kesennuma. The Japanese characters read: "40th Anniversary of Foundation". Picture: AP
3.56pm Workers at Japan's earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant have been
allowed to return to the site after they were temporarily evacuated following a rise in radiation levels. The evacuation order was issued at 10.40am local time (12.40pm AEDT) and about an hour later workers were allowed to return when the radiation spike subsided, Kyodo News reported.
3.47pm Experts are reassuring people there's little chance - at least for now - that radiation from Fukushima could pose a serious threat to the wider world. The amount of radioactivity emitted by the facility is relatively minor and should
dissipate quickly over the Pacific Ocean. Peter Caracappa, a radiation safety officer and clinical assistant professor of nuclear engineering, said: "Every mile of ocean it crosses, the more it disperses."
3.29pm Japanese stocks have rebounded today, recovering some of the massive losses sustained the past two days following a devastating earthquake and tsunami. Other Asian indices have also bounced back.
3.25pm Japan government says ready to seek cooperation with the US military as it battles to avert catastrophe at a stricken nuclear plant hit by fire and explosions as radiation levels spike.
3.17pm Aviation regulators in London have issued a formal warning over the possible radioactive hazard from Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant. London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre issued a message covering 10 regions. The open-ended warning applies to airspace zones in Japan, Russia, China, the US and South Korea.
3.10pm A strong 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck in the Pacific just off Chiba prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, with the force strong enough to sway buildings in Tokyo. No tsunami warning was immediately issued but the agency warned of a possible change in sea levels.
3.05pm A US nuclear expert said he feared the worst after workers were told to evacuate from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer who heads the nuclear safety program for activist group the Union of Concerned Scientists said:
It's more of a surrender. It's not like you wait 10 days and the radiation goes away. In that 10 days things are going to get worse. It's basically a sign that there's nothing left to do but throw in the towel.
2.58pm Japan's nearest neighbours - Russia, the Korean peninsula and China - say they don't foresee any immediate effects of radiation from Japan's nuclear crisis. Authorities in Singapore said no abnormal changes in radiation levels have been detected, after fake text messages reportedly claimed acid rain could reach Singapore, more than 5000km southwest of Japan.
2.52pm Hong Kong has widened its top-level black travel alert to three more Japanese prefectures.
2.43pm South Korea plans to send an emergency shipment of cooling material to Japan to help control its quake-damaged nuclear reactors. Tokyo has asked for 52 tonnes of boron, a key material used for regulating nuclear chain reactions, as it is running short of the metalloid to cool the overheated Fukushima reactors, Seoul said. "We've sent boron samples. Now, we are scraping up all we got," a South Korean official said.
2.21pm Governor says radiation levels in Tokyo 20 times normal, The Japan Times reports.
2.08pm The level of radiation at the plant surged to 1000 millisieverts today before coming down to 800-600 millisieverts. Still, that was far more than the average.
"So the workers cannot carry out even minimal work at the plant now," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said. "Because of the radiation risk, we are on standby."
Experts say exposure of around 1000 millisieverts is enough to cause radiation sickness.
1.58pm Japan abandons stricken nuclear plant due to surge in radiation.
1.41pm Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said he is suspending his country's fledgling nuclear energy program.
1.37pm Workers at Japan's earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant were evacuated today after radiation levels rose, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, said.
"All the workers there have suspended their operations. We have urged them to evacuate, and they have," he said, according to a translation by NHK television.
1.21pm Japan's Cabinet Secretary is giving a live press conference on Fukushima now: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv
1.16pm Japan is considering spraying water and boric acid over the stricken nuclear plant in a desperate measure to contain radiation.
1.09pm Four members of Australia's search and rescue team forced to land at Fukushima airport - 40km from nuclear plant. Very low levels of radiation were detected on their shoes. They have undergone decontamination and are well, says Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
1.05pm More than 500 bone marrow transplant centres in Europe have been asked to receive victims of the nuclear accident in Japan if necessary.
1:02pm White smoke update. White smoke seen billowing from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is coming from the No. 3 reactor (not No. 4 reactor), the country's nuclear safety agency confirmed to Kyodo News. The facility's embattled operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), said it may be steam.
12:35pm Some financial updates:
- Tokyo shares are up more than 6.2 per cent on bargain hunting following the biggest two-day sell-off on the Nikkei for 24 years on fears of the threat of nuclear meltdown after a huge earthquake and tsunami
- The Australian share market rallied this morning, with the ASX 200 index rising 50.7 points to 4579.4 and the All Ordinaries index up by 52.8 points at 4662.7
- The Australian dollar was lower at noon, trading at 99.47 US cents, despite recovering some losses after a dramatic overnight session
12:25pm Fire risk returns. White smoke was seen coming from the No. 4 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant today after officials said earlier that a fire at the reactor was extinguished, broadcaster NHK reported.
In the image below from Japan's NHK television, white smoke, centre, billows from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex . The Japanese at the bottom reads "filmed from 30 kilometres away." / AP
12:05pm An Australian in Japan, Ren Gregoric, 22, says he doesn't trust the information coming out of the Japanese Government, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
My message is don't listen to the Japanese media, don't listen to the Japanese Government because they're trying to keep Japanese people calm, which I completely understand, but I don't think that they're giving the full truth. I think that by not telling people the complete truth, people aren't able to make rational decisions, and the only rational decision at the moment is to get out.
11.53am
11:38am The Bank of Japan has pumped another 3.5 trillion yen ($43.53 billion) into the financial system, adding to the trillions spent Monday and Tuesday to soothe shaken markets.
11:30am Moving Guardian piece on Ishinomaki, where bodies are piled up as officials try desperately to feed survivors.
11:20am An update on the latest key developments from Japan:
- Death toll expected to reach 10,000, with 3570 confirmed dead, NHK World says
- More than 440,000 people in shelters and some have yet to receive supplies
- About 850,000 households still without electricity , ABC News reports
- Fire at Fukushima is under control but major issues remain at the nuclear plant
11:15am Australian woman Emily Peck, 27, who was near a Japanese nuclear power plant when it was rocked by an explosion said that initial tests have cleared her of contamination, AAP reports.
10:55am Aussie update. Almost 150 Australians are still missing following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
10:33am Interesting piece from The New York Times about how the Mark 1 nuclear reactor design of the Fukushima Daiichi plant has long been questioned by experts.
The warnings were stark and issued repeatedly as far back as 1972: If the cooling systems ever failed at a Mark 1 nuclear reactor, the primary containment vessel surrounding the reactor would probably burst as the fuel rods inside overheated. Dangerous radiation would spew into the environment.
10.08am Story on the brave souls who are still at Fukushima Daiichi trying to stop the nuclear crisis, from The Sydney Morning Herald.
They are known as the "Fukushima 50" and two of them are missing after an explosion and fire at one of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant yesterday and a new fire there today.
10:00am Japanese authorities now say the fire in Fukushima Daiichi reactor No. 4 is "under control", according to AFP.
9:50am Hard to believe, but someone thought it would be funny to post on a site set up to track people missing after the Japan earthquake and tsunami that Ashley Russell's daughter, Alice Byron, was dead. She isn't, and he's not very impressed.
There are some evil people out there. Her employer told me other people had suffered the same hoax as well.
9:38am Easy-to-understand interactive explaining the Japanese nuclear crisis from The New York Times. How a Reactor Shuts Down and What Happens in a Meltdown
9:27am A young Japanese survivor of the earthquake and tsunami searches her family home for any belongings she can find in the levelled city of Minamisanriku, in northeastern Japan / AP
Japanese vehicles pass through the ruins of the levelled city of Minamisanriku, northeastern Japan / AP
9:24am Engineers are keeping a close eye on reactors 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi, where cooling systems appear to have failed, ABC News reports.
9:16am Ravaged hospital symbol of stoicism - A great colour piece from The Australian explaining how the Japanese are coping with their disaster
Senen General in Tagajo is a hospital of 113 patients and two doctors, without water, electricity and scarcely any food or drugs.
8:53am The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant says another fire has broken out at its No. 4 reactor unit. A spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power says the blaze erupted early today in the outer housing of the reactor's containment vessel. Fire fighters are trying to put out the flames. It comes after a fire broke out yesterday in the reactor's fuel storage pond where used nuclear fuel is kept cool causing radioactivity to be released into the atmosphere.
8:42am The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant now says it has scrapped a plan to use helicopters to pour water into a reactor whose overheating fuel storage unit is emitting radiation. The storage pool, used to hold spent nuclear fuel rods, caught fire yesterday in an alarming escalation of Japan's nuclear crisis. The blaze was extinguished but fears remain that water may boil away and the rods could be dangerously exposed.
8:23am Nuclear emergency round-up. Japanese say they may pour water from helicopters to stop fuel rods from being exposed to the air and releasing even more radioactivity. Radiation near the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has reached levels harmful to health and was high overnight, officials said, advising thousands of people to stay indoors after two explosions and a fire at the facility. Four of the six reactors at the crippled facility, 250 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, have now overheated and sparked explosions since Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami knocked out their cooling systems.
8:00am Some highlights of today's Australian papers on Japan:
The Australian's Peter Alford reports from Tokyo about the nuclear threat as further explosions and a fire at the earthquake-crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant sent dangerous levels of radiation into the atmosphere
Powerful colour piece about visiting an effective ghost town from The Sydney Morning Herald's John Garnaut.
THE satellite photo tells me there is a town of 17,000 people ahead. It is lying. There's nothing there at all. Just a great big stormwater drain; a couple of scrunched cars, but they don't look out of place - like the shopping trolleys collecting leaves and rubbish in my creek back home.
Adam Cresswell, from The Australian, provides the alarming details of what radiation can do to the human body.
7:57am JAPAN'S nuclear safety agency said early today the roof of Fukushima reactor No.4 is cracked.
The agency also said that two workers were missing following yesterday's explosion at the reactor, Reuters reported.
7:44am And a counter-point from Gavin Atkins, a former employee of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, titled Fukushima facts obscured in fog of misinformation.
Having studied previous nuclear accidents closely through the years, everyone at the (International Atomic Energy Agency) would know that some of the worst consequences of nuclear accidents have turned out to be social and psychological effects on neighbouring populations, even on people who were not anywhere near the path of radiation.
7:34am Some views from nuclear nonproliferation expert, Jeffrey Lewis, at his blog Arms Control Wonk, about just how dangerous the damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is to human life. In short, he agrees with this ominous story from CNN, Official: Japan's nuclear situation nearing severity of Chernobyl.
(Nuclear authorities in Japan have) has released another statement that confirms the spent fuel at Reactor 4 burned for about three hours before they were able to put it out.
This is very bad news — yesterday, I noted this was the wildcard scenario. The radiation release was very large — detectors recorded a measurement of 400 millisieverts per hour. Milli, not micro. People can stop with the comparisons to airline flights or X-rays, unless you get your X-rays performed at DARHT.
If you are scoring at home, most folks I know seem to think we are at INES 6 now, heading for 7 (and the Ch-word) unless (Japanese nuclear authorities) catches a break.
7:20am Combination of satellite images of Japan, courtesy of DigitalGlobe, shows damage after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan / AP.
7:03am Latest figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade about Australians in Japan.
- Number of calls received in Canberra: 8480
- Australians in Japan confirmed as safe: 3226
- Number registered in Japan: 3707
- Number safe in affected areas: 119
- Number of Australians unaccounted for: 139
6:40am A graphic from The Australian showing the possible effects of radiation poisoning.
6:30am Press statement from Tokyo Electrical Power Company about an explosion at reactor 4 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
(A) loud explosion was heard from within the power station. Afterwards, it was confirmed that the 4th floor rooftop area of the Unit 4 Nuclear Reactor Building had sustained damage. After usage, fuel is stored in a pool designated for spent fuel. Plant conditions as well as potential outside radiation effects are currently under investigation.
6:15am Another tale of miraculous survival. A Japanese man in his 20s was rescued in Ishimona, after being trapped for 96 hours. Watch the video at the BBC's website.
5:55am Happy tale of two pet dogs, Towa and Melody, who managed to defy the earthquake and survive, from The Wall Street Journal.
5:45am Nuclear fears grow around the world.
In Russia's far east near Japan, residents bought up pills to prevent radiation sickness and military units prepared to evacuate towns. The French announced they would check all 58 of their nuclear reactors. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would temporarily shut down seven nuclear power plants and begin a safety review of all of the country’s 17 plants. Officials in Switzerland said the country would suspend plans to build and replace nuclear plants. Finally, European energy ministers said they were considering introducing stress tests for the the area's 143 nuclear plants.
5:29am Good morning. An overview of the latest developments in the Japan disaster.
- Official death toll is 3373, but 10,000 feared dead in Myagi alone
- Crews battling to avert a nuclear disaster to stop fuel rods from being exposed
- Radiation near Fukushima Daiichi plant has reached levels harmful to health
- Food, water and fuel are running short in parts of Japan, authorities say
- Large sections of the country remain without power
- Share markets around the world have plunged as investors flee risk over Japan concerns
- 142 Australians in disaster zone have not yet been located
4.07am The EU has has reached agreement to conduct "stress tests" on the continent's nuclear power plants. Energy chief Guenther Oettinger the tests would be conducted on a "voluntary" basis and test if reactors could resist earthquakes, tsunamis and terrorist attacks.
"We want to look at the risk and safety issues in the light of events in Japan."
A Japanese rescuer walks across an area devastated by the tsunami in Sendai. Picture: AFP
4.05am Reuters is also reporting the possibility of core damage at Reactor No.2:
Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told a news conference that there was a "possibility of core damage" at unit 2. "The damage is estimated to be less than 5 pct."
3.28am The Japanese government has ordered an injection of water into the spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4, Kyodo news agency reports. The plant's operator earlier today expressed concerns that water in a pool storing spent nuclear fuel rods may be boiling, sparking fears of a release of high-level radioactive materials from the fuel.
But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano stated at a press conference that monitoring equipment at the plant was not indicating such a release.
''We believe very high-level radioactive substances have not been emitted continuously from the No. 4 reactor.'' - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
2.49am Panic selling has hit the US and European stock markets amid fears that a nuclear meltdown in quake-hit Japan could threaten the global economy. The New York Stock Exchange reportedly invoked a rarely used rule to smooth trading volatility, but to little avail as The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 2 two per cent in opening US trade, losing more than 250 points.
“The global equity markets are posting solid losses following reports of rising nuclear radiation levels in Japan after more explosions hit an already damaged nuclear power facility.''
2.20am This photo shows Fujiko Chiba, who was stranded in an isolated evacuation center for five days as she is rescued by Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members in Ishinomaki, Miyagi. Picture: AP
2.18am Owner and operator of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, TEPCO now says it may resort to pouring water from a helicopter onto the station's Reactor No. 4 in an attempt to cool the spent-fuel pool (BBC).
1.41am The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is a 30km no-fly zone in place around the Fukushima plant with fears that yesterday's explosion may have affected integrity of main containment vessel.
1.34am The US Geological Survey has confirmed the latest aftershock measured at 6.1. Friday's earthquake measured at 9.0.
1.25am Shizuoka police say fire has broken out in Fujinomiya city in the wake of a major aftershock, Kyodo news agency reports.
1.13am The US says it has detected low-level radioactivity at its Yokosuka military base some 280 km south of Tokyo. This suggests the radiation from the stricken plants could quite possibly be spreading.
A man rides a bicycle through the rubble in Kesennuma, Miyagi. Picture: AP
1.07am Grim news as the confirmed death toll rises to 3373 with 6746 unaccounted for. This news comes as authorities state the crisis at the crippled Fukushima plant now rates six on a seven-point international scale of gravity for nuclear accidents.
"The incident has taken on a completely different dimension compared to Monday. It is clear that we are at level six," - Andre-Claude Lacoste, head of France's Nuclear Safety Authority. "The order of gravity has changed."
The crisis now ranks above the 1979 Three Mile Island disaster in the US, which is rated at five and only comes in below the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine, which ranks at maximum seven.
12.56am Kyodo news agency is reporting there is no danger of another tsunami from the recent aftershock. Both TEPCO and Chubu Electric Hamaoka say their power plants continue to be working normally after the quake (NHK & Reuters).
A BBC reporter in Japan said he was in his room preparing for his live cross when the quake hit.
"We most definitely felt it here. The buildings were shaking, I just sat there rooted to my seat, I didn't know what to do. It went on for four or five seconds." - BBC reporter Clive Myrie.
12.39am A strong aftershock has hit Japan. Preliminary magnitude for the quake place it at 6.0 (Reuters).
12.30am The nuclear crisis has sparked panic buying of iodine pills, AFP reports, with online bids exceeding $500 for a single packet. However health experts are warning the pills are of limited use.
"Consult your #doctor before taking #iodine pills. Do not self-medicate!" the World Health Organisation said on its Twitter page.
12.25am Read this account of a father who thought his daughter was killed during the tsunami in Japan after he was the target of a hoax.
"There are some evil people out there. Her employer told me other people had suffered the same hoax as well."
12.10am Kyodo news agency is now reporting TEPCO is unable to pour water into the No. 4 reactor's storage pool for spent fuel. There is no detail as of yet about why they are unable to do so. Water is used to cool the overheating reactor.
11.47pm Reuters is reporting the holes in the wall of Reactor No. 4 have left the spent nuclear fuel pool exposed to the outside air.
Members of a British search and rescue team walk through a smoldering industrial facility in Ofunato. Picture: AP
11.26pm South Korea's Meteorological Administration has released the results of a weather simulation showing radioactive particles from Japan's damaged power plant will drift toward the Pacific (Kyodo).
11.19pm Kyodo news agency is reporting radiation levels at the No. 4 reactor have risen to a level where staff are unable to stay in the control rooms.
Workers cannot stay in the room long and so are going in and out alongside monitoring from a different room.
The news comes as government officials report radiation levels at Tokyo are 10 times the usual amount for the city but it does not pose a threat to human health (Reuters).
10.59pm NHK World is reporting the toll from the disaster has risen to more than 3000 confirmed deaths with more than 15,000 still unaccounted for.
10.27pm Telstra has announced all phone calls and text messages to Japan in the two weeks following the disaster will be free.
10.14pm Reuter's Twitter account has a report on the damage at the No. 4 reactor.
@Reuters: Japan nuclear safety agency: Two 8-metre holes in wall of Fukushima No.4 outer building after blast.
10.10pm Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced Germany will temporarily shutdown seven nuclear reactors after safety fears sparked by the atomic crisis in Japan (BBC). Her move comes as Russian PM Vladimir Putin orders a full review of Russia's atomic energy sector.
9.37pm Kyodo news agency has reported Japan's PM is angry at Tokyo Electric's handling of the nuclear crisis demanding to know "what the hell is going on?"
''The TV reported an explosion. But nothing was said to the premier's office for about an hour,'' a Kyodo News reporter overheard Kan saying during a meeting with executives of the power company at its head office. ''What the hell is going on?''
Kan strongly ordered the company not to withdraw its employees from the power plant, which has been facing a series of problems since Friday's massive quake, ranging from explosions to radiation leaks.
''In the event of withdrawal from there, I'm 100 percent certain that the company will collapse,'' Kan said. ''I want you all to be determined.''
9.32pm This article from the Daily Mail online has a chilling photo comparison of Hiroshima's destruction in 1945 and the damage seen there today.
9.30pm More terrible images out of Japan.
A girl stands amid the debris at the tsunami-hit area in Ofunato, Iwate. Picture: AP
Rescuers search for survivors through rubble of destroyed buildings in Miyagi. Picture: Getty Images
9.24pm Reuters is reporting TEPCO says its next rollover blackout is expected to affect 5 million households. This is significantly up from the 113,000 households affected yesterday (Reuters).
9.05pm Kyodo news agency is providing this status report on the quake-stricken reactors at Fukushima nuclear power plant.
- Reactor No. 1 - Cooling failure, partial melting of core, hydrogen explosion, seawater pumped in.
- Reactor No. 2 - Cooling failure, seawater pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, partial melting of core, damage to containment system.
- Reactor No. 3 - Cooling failure, partial melting of core, seawater pumped in, hydrogen explosion.
- Reactor No. 4 - Under maintenance when quake struck, fire caused by hydrogen explosion at pool holding spent fuel rods, pool water levels feared receding.
- Reactor No. 5 - Under maintenance when quake struck.
- Reactor No. 6 - Under maintenance when quake struck.
8.51pm An Aussie mum has finally spoken with her son, who was in one of Japan's worst hit regions during the earthquake and tsunami. Mary Briffa broke down in tears when she finally heard the voice of her son Jason who was was working as an English teacher in Sendai when it was ravaged by a 10m tsunami on Friday.
"I couldn't help but cry. It was just so overwhelming, so exciting. I got to hear his voice."
"He could try his best to get out of there but instead he is staying around to give them a hand."
8.48pm Twitter users are urging chief government spokesman Yukio Edano, the right-hand man of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, to go to sleep amid fears he will collapse from lack of rest. The hashtag "edano_nero" is trending on the popular micro-blogging site - "nero" means "go to sleep" in Japanese. Edano emerged as an unlikely hero of the crisis, appearing every few hours on TV in a blue emergency jumpsuit to update the nation (AFP).
One user named Kagetoramaru tweeted yesterday: "As of 20.30 let's all tweet edano_nero, and make him go to sleep!"
8.44pm Radiation levels in Chiba prefecture - which neighbours Tokyo - are now more than 10 times above normal levels, Kyodo News reported.
8.28pm Another survivor, a male, has reportedly been found in Japan quake rubble, NHK is reporting.
8.15pm Tokyo officials say the level of radiation in Tokyo has dropped after its spike earlier today.
"We monitored a higher than normal amount of radiation in the morning in Tokyo. But we don't consider it to be at a level where the human body is affected," - Sairi Koga, an official of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
"It is returning closer to the normal level. But we need to keep a close watch on it," - health and welfare official Keiichi Nakaya.
Rubble of destroyed buildings and vehicles are seen in Miyagi, Japan. Picture: Getty Images
8.10pm France's foreign minister says the danger from the damaged nuclear reactor is "extremely high".
"The situation is extremely serious.... The risk is extremely high," - Minister Alain Juppe.
"It is up to the Japanese to say how we can help them."
Mr Juppe said that French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants the G20 grouping of big economies "to be at Japan's service" during the crisis.
8.09pm Police say the official death toll has now risen to 2414, but is feared to reach as high as 10,000.
7.57pm Some good news from amid the wreckage. A Japanese official says rescuers have pulled a 70-year-old woman who has been trapped in the rubble for four days (AP).
7.43pm Kyodo news is reporting Fukushima's spent nuclear fuel pool may be boiling, reducing the water level in the reactor.
7.33pm Sky News is reporting Japan's PM has said the radiation spewing from the nuclear plant at Fukushima are extremely dangerous as AFP quotes a government spokesperson as saying the levels have dropped considerably.
7.21pm Australian experts have urged calm over Japan's nuclear crisis, saying none of the protected nuclear cores within the damaged plants appear to have been breached and references to the meltdown being like "Chernobyl" were unhelpful.
"What's the worst consequence that could happen? Well, my view is that words like meltdown are not helpful," - John Price, a former member of the safety policy unit of the UK's National Nuclear Corporation.
"Once the shutdown occurred, even on the first day, we were really not talking about meltdown ... what we're talking about is overheating and damage of the cladding of the core."
7.08pm More detail about the 149 Australians unaccounted for in Japan.
6.49pm Tokyo's outspoken conservative governor Shintaro Ishihara has apologised for describing Japan's deadly earthquake and tsunami as "divine punishment."
"[The remarks] hurt victims, Tokyo residents and victims," Mr Ishihara said "I deeply apologise."
His remarks come after one of the writers for the US animated comedy Family Guy apologised for a joke linking the disaster to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour. In a message on Twitter scriptwriter Alec Sulkin wrote:
"If you wanna feel better about this earthquake in Japan, google 'Pearl Harbor (sic) death toll."
He later apologised.
"Yesterday death toll - 200. Today - 10,000. I am sorry for my insensitive tweet. It's gone."
6.46pm Reuters is reporting Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has told reporters:
Radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi complex have fallen dramatically to 596.4 microsieverts per hour. That level is almost 700 times less than the levels reported in the morning, after two fresh blasts at the complex.
6.45pm Consular officials remain concerned for the safety of 149 Australians with whom no contact has been made since the earthquake struck. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it has not yet made contact with 149 Australians who were in the hardest hit areas.
DFAT said it was boosting its consular search team on the ground in Japan by an extra three staff, who will focus on the devastated Sendai area.
6.30pm Aussie dollar and shares plummet as the tragedy in Japan impacts on our markets. The share market dropped to a six-month low today, suffering its worst one-day fall in nine months as the dollar dropped by an entire US cent.
5.31pm A few images of tributes and memorials across the world today:
Filipinos offer flowers to express sympathies to Japanese earthquake victims during a prayer meeting in front of the Japanese embassy in Pasay city, south of Manila. Picture: AAP
A Greenpeace activist lights candles to form the nuclear symbol in front of the chancellery in Berlin. Picture: AFP
Students in Allahabad, India, burn candles to pray for the victims of the Japanese disaster. Picture: AP
5.25pm The horrific pictures from Japan and its unfolding nuclear disaster will probably give the Reserve Bank of Australia further reasons to leave interest rates unchanged for some months, economists predict.
5.14pm Tokyo shares have closed down 10.55 per cent as panicking investors dumped stocks after the government said rising radiation levels at a stricken nuclear plant posed a threat to health.
4.54pm Radiation levels near a quake-hit nuclear plant are now harmful to human health, Japan's government said.
The crisis at the Fukushima No.1 plant, 250 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, has now spread to four out of its six reactors.
"There is no doubt that unlike in the past, the figures are the level at which human health can be affected," said chief government spokesman Yukio Edano. -AFP
4.44pm Kyodo News reports the National Police Agency as saying 2475 people are confirmed dead, with 3611 missing, but says many unidentified bodies have been detected in coastal areas.
The agency has identified 1060 bodies so far, of which 420 have been returned to their families.
Local authorities say around 1300 people have been found stranded on the island of Oshima in the Miyagi Prefecture.
4.39pm NHK has reported the official death toll as 2476, with 17,000 missing. (Via Twitter)
4.14pm The Financial Times reports Shan Nair, a former nuclear physicist who advised the European Commission on its response to the Chernobyl disaster, as saying “It’s a bad accident but it’s not a Chernobyl,” but he warned the situation was still extremely serious.
This viewpoint is echoed by Peter Burns, former CEO of ARPANSA, who estimates the radioactivity released by Fukushima is millions of times lower than that released at Chernobyl.
4.12pm Japan’s transport minister says the country can build 30,000 temporary houses within two months to house people affected by the earthquake and tsunami, according to Bloomberg.
4.07pm A useful graphic which puts the radiation levels at Fukushima into perspective. (via Twitter)
3.55pm The releases from the Fukushima reactor have been of a moderate nature, but until we know what materials are being released and at what levels, statements such as "nine times above normal" are not very useful, says Peter Burns, former CEO of Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)
3.48pm A simple explanation of the Fukushima nuclear accident.
