Japan Declares Emergency at 2nd Nuke Plant

22 people found to be contaminated at Dai-ichi plant
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 13, 2011 11:45 AM CDT
Japan Declares Emergency at 2nd Nuke Plant
An elderly man taken by wheelchair to be scanned for levels of radiation in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Sunday, March 13, 2011.   (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

The International Atomic Energy Agency said today that Japan has declared a state of emergency at a second earthquake-ravaged nuclear plant after measuring higher-than-permitted levels of radiation. The IAEA says the source is being investigated, but all three reactors at the Onagawa plant are currently under control. Japan also said earlier attempts to cool the No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant had failed. At least 22 people around the Fukushima Dai-ichi have been contaminated by radiation.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano also said today that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Unit 3 of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. "At the risk of raising further public concern, we cannot rule out the possibility of an explosion," Edano said. "If there is an explosion, however, there would be no significant impact on human health." (More Japan earthquake stories.)

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