Japan has declared a nuclear emergency following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the country today.
Nuclear Engineering International reports that Onagawa, Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini and Tokai nuclear power stations have all automatically shut down.
A fire had broken out at Onagawa nuclear power station, according to Reuters. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that fire has been extinguished.
According to Nature’s Tokyo correspondent, David Cyranoski, Japanese media are reporting that the emergency core cooling system (ECCS) at the Fukushima #1 plant is not working due to a loss of electrical power, and problems with the backup diesel geenrator.
The reactor is currently relying on an alternate cooling system that circulates water using a pump system. This system can operate for about 7 to 8 hours. According to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of the government’s industry ministry, this is the first time in Japan that the ECCS of a nuclear power station has not functioned.
Kyodo news reports that 2,000 residents near Fukushima nuclear plant have been advised to evacuate.
UPDATE: The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum has announced that the Fukushima reactor’s core “still has a sufficient amount of water for cooling, with no danger of the nuclear fuel being exposed”.
“Several emergency generator vehicles have rushed to the scene to provide the necessary power for the water supply,” the statement says. It adds that the government will direct residents living with a 3-km radius of the reactor to evacuate.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force has delivered additional coolant to the Fukushima plant, Reuters reports.
UPDATE 2245GMT: IAEA reports that “pressure is increasing inside the Unit 1 reactor’s containment, and the officials have decided to vent the containment to lower the pressure. The controlled release will be filtered to retain radiation within the containment.”
According to Kyodo News, “the amount of radiation reached around 1,000 times the normal level Saturday in the control room of the No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said.”
For full coverage of the Fukushima disaster, go to Nature’s news special.