Explosion in reactor building
An explosion was heard after 6:10 JST on 15 March in unit 2, possibly damaging the pressure-suppression system, which is at the bottom part of the container.[85][86] The radiation level was reported to exceed the legal limit and the plant's operator started to evacuate workers from the plant.[87] Soon after, Kyodo News reported that radiation had risen to 8,217 μSv per hour[88] around two hours after the explosion—about eight times what one usually is exposed to within a whole year—and again down to 2,400 μSv, shortly after.[89] Three hours after the explosion the radiation has risen to 11,900 μSv per hour.[90]Japanese nuclear authorities initially said that the containment vessel had not been damaged as a result of the explosion.[91] Later reports indicated that the containment vessel had, in fact, been damaged in the explosion, that radiation levels had spiked, and that workers were being evacuated.[92] If all workers leave the plant, the nuclear fuel in the reactors is likely to melt down, prompting a release of radioactive material.[92] The suppression pool beneath the reactor may have cracked.[93]
End quote from
Wikipedia: Fukushima I nuclear accidents
So, if I understand this correctly, when the radiation reached 11,900 units per hour some or all nuclear workers had to evacuate the area of Fukushima to protect their lives. If I remember correctly many men and women died sealing up Chernobyl with cement so thousands and thousands wouldn't die unnecessarily. Hopefully, we are not back at this stage once again only this time in Japan.
The following quote is what happened to flora and fauna in the Chernobyl disaster:
Flora and fauna
After the disaster, four square kilometers of pine forest in the immediate vicinity of the reactor turned reddish-brown and died, earning the name of the "Red Forest".[68] Some animals in the worst-hit areas also died or stopped reproducing. Most domestic animals were evacuated from the exclusion zone, but horses left on an island in the Pripyat River 6 km (4 mi) from the power plant died when their thyroid glands were destroyed by radiation doses of 150–200 Sv.[69] Some cattle on the same island died and those that survived were stunted because of thyroid damage. The next generation appeared to be normal.[69]A robot sent into the reactor itself has returned with samples of black, melanin-rich radiotrophic fungi that are growing on the reactor's walls.[70]
above quote is from Chernobyl disaster on Wikipedia.
So, hopefully we never see this in Fukushima as well. There is also a map at this site of areas in which people were not allowed to live since 1986 and some areas where people choose to live even though it is still dangerous to live there today.
Later: It was reported that of the 750 workers at Fukushima, 700 were sent away for their own safety so they could survive. 50 remained. Whether they will survive long term or not remains to be seen. Many died covering Chernobyl up with cement in 1986. 2 men are missing from one of the hydrogen
explosions already.
begin quote.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said two workers were missing after blasts at the facility a day earlier blew a hole in the building housing the No. 4 reactor. end quote.
Many countries are now advising their citizens to leave Tokyo. And those who choose to remain in the Sendai area might eventually get cancer and other problems from ongoing radiation exposure. In my way of thinking the Triple Threat of 8.9 Earthquake, Tsunamis all around Japan including all islands on the Eastern side and Most on the western side and now 3 reactors to a greater or lesser degree in partial or possibly full meltdown, 750 nuclear workers ordered to leave and only volunteers who don't know if they will live staying, we are now in a much worse situation than we were with Chernobyl.
We might even be within a few weeks of considering at the very least evacuating all women and children from north Eastern Japan and within a month of evacuating most people from Japan. I hope it doesn't come to this but as the radiation builds unless there is some way to contain it to the Fukushima facility it is presently contaminating not only North Eastern Japan but also the Tokyo area and the rest of Japan, the Pacific Ocean around Fukushima and Sendai etc.. This is becoming more and more of a triple threat nightmare daily for not only Japan but for all mankind directly or indirectly.
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