BBC live blog Japan, nuke info... "9 people have shown signs of possible exposure"

[uppityperson]

They are pulling together info from many places and posting them on this blog. Seems like a good site.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

"2145: Reuters: The number of people exposed to radiation near Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant could reach 160, an official from the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has said. Nine people have shown signs of possible exposure."

[jpak]

1. It's up to 160 exposed - three with radiation sickness

not good

[TheMightyFavog]

2. Yes, but who exactly are these people?

Are these plant employees working on the problem? Nuclear emergency response team members assisting the plant employees? Emergency services present at the plant? Those people would be expected to become exposed in one way or another.


Or are we talking nearby residents, media at/near the scene, Emergency Services personell operating away from the plant? Those people getting exposed would have me concerned.

[uppityperson]

3. I don't know, waiting to see more. Thought the blog was a good one and wanted to share.

[jpak]

4. The reporting on this accident sucks - you have to really dig to get the full story

that said - there are no details of who has been exposed and levels of exposure

[northernlights]

5. the 1st 3 were regular citizens waiting to be evacuated

standing outside a building when the blast happenedc, but not particularly close to the scene.

[northernlights]

6. dupe nt

[CanonRay]

7. I heard yesterday that there were 40 people working at the plant

so if there are 160 exposed, it must be local people.

[TheMightyFavog]

8. But surely ther's bound to have been more personell brought in.

I'm assuming this would be an "all hands on deck" situation for plant employees who were off and for the response teams.

[uppityperson]

9. Aftershocks are following, one after another...please be careful

0330: With all the focus shifting to the nuclear crisis and the rescue mission, it's worth remembering that Japan is still experiencing powerful aftershocks. Hirofumi Yokoyama from Japan's meteorological agency says: "Aftershocks are following, one after another, and in places that were hit hard by the earthquake, please be careful of aftershocks because there are dangers of further deterioration of the conditions of houses."

[uppityperson]

12. Got busy elsewhere, will try and catch up on some of these posts

[suffragette]

14. I've been wondering about impact of these on Fukushima

It seems like there was a large after shock >6.0 near there not that long before the recent reports of more leakage and exposure of fuel rods.

And I was thinking the same around the time of the report of the 1st exposure of the fuel rods.

But that could just be me seeing patterns where there isn't one.

Has anyone seen any report of the timing of these being a factor?

[uppityperson]

18. From what I've seen, they just keep happening, with no particular timing.

Thanks for replying, am busy posting to myself here.

[suffragette]

19. Thanks for the response

I saw an update on numbers related to your O.P.
I'll post that at bottom of thread.

[uppityperson]

10. "you simply can't get into many of these places...Based on past experience..this doesn't bode well"

0325: Mr Fuller adds: "You simply can't get into many of these places. It's still early days in judging the scope of this disaster. Every day we're hearing reports of many people still missing. Based on past experience of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, this doesn't bode well."

[uppityperson]

11. China carried out checks on its nuke facilities "no impact at all on our plants safety"

0335: China says it has carried out checks on its nuclear facilities in the wake of Japan's troubles, the environment ministry saying: "Our ministry is paying a great deal of attention to this huge earthquake in Japan, and has already confirmed that it has had no impact at all on our nuclear plants' safety."

[uppityperson]

13. Japanese officials declare it 9.0 quake

0336: It may seem slightly immaterial given what has followed, but Japanese officials have revised up the strength of Friday's quake from 8.8-magnitude to 9.0. US officials had measured it at 8.9.

[uppityperson]

15. The land dropped, the water came in and stayed.

0342: The Huffington Post tries to get to the bottom of the geological impact of the quake, quoting seismologist Daniel McNamara as saying the quake caused the land to sink: "You see cities still underwater; the reason is subsidence. The land actually dropped, so when the tsunami came in, just staying."

[uppityperson]

16. Bill Nye comments (I like Bill Nye and am amused at him having this posted via CNN)

349: CNN presenter Piers Morgan tweets: "Nuclear expert Bill Nye just said situation at Japan plants sounds 'way more serious' than authorities saying. Deeply worrying.

[uppityperson]

17. We do believe that there is a possibility that meltdown has occured

0352: The news coming from Japan remains bleak. Government spokesman Yukio Edano: "We do believe that there is a possibility that meltdown has occurred - it is inside the reactor, we can't see. However, we are acting, assuming that a meltdown has occurred and with reactor number 3 we are also assuming the possibility of a meltdown as we carry out measures."

[suffragette]

20. Update on people hospitalized because of exposure to radiation

http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011 /

Update: Tokyo Electric Power Co has notified Japan's nuclear safety agency that the radiation level at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has exceeded the legal limit.

Hourly radiation at the site was measured at 882 micro sievert, in excess of the allowable level of 500.

The company acknowledged that the No.3 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima plant had lost its cooling
functions, while 19 people at a nearby hospital were found to have been exposed to radioactivity, in addition to three cases of exposure recorded Saturday.

(Kyodo)




They don't note if these are workers from the plant or area residents.

[uppityperson]

21. Consequences of a meltdown are more severe...

0406: More on the specific dangers of Fukushima 1 plant's reactor 3: The BBC's Chris Hogg in Toky says the reactor is fuelled with uranium and plutonium, meaning the consequences of a meltdown are much more severe than at the other reactors.

[uppityperson]

22. Radioactive meltdowns may have occurred in 2 reactors at the plant

0426: Japanese government spokesman Yukio Edano says radioactive meltdowns may have occurred in two reactors at the plant - AFP.

0421: If you've just joined us, here are a few pointers about the nuclear crisis now unfolding as a result of Friday's earthquake. The problem centres on one of two nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture, which stand 11.5km (7.1 miles) apart. The plant, Fukushima 1, has six reactors. On Saturday afternoon local time, a hydrogen explosion reportedly hit the building housing the No 1 reactor but the container of the reactor remained intact. Early today local time, it was reported that the emergency cooling system of Reactor 3 had failed. The reactor's fuel rods were reportedly exposed and a partial meltdown was believed to be under way.

0419: Possible fusion in two reactors - AFP, quoting government

[uppityperson]

23. 10,000 people unaccounted for in small port town of Minamisanriku

0436: Amid the anxiety over the power plant, the search for survivors goes on. According to Japanese media, in the small port town of Minamisanriku alone, some 10,000 people remain unaccounted for.

[uppityperson]

24. Currently deciding whether to move to a safer distance...No change in rad levels Russian farEast

0449: Grant Jenkins in Fukushima-Ken writes: "Currently deciding whether to move to a safer distance from the power plant, just to be safe." Have Your Say

0448: No change has been detected in radiation levels in the Russian far east, which borders Japan, the country's top health inspector, Gennady Onishchenko, tells Interfax news agency. The situation is being monitored around the clock, with experts who tracked the Chernobyl disaster on stand-by if the situation deteriorates.

[uppityperson]

25. 1 of the biggest problems is just reaching those affected, particularly in remoter regions

0517: One of the biggest problems for the authorities is just reaching everyone affected, particularly in remoter regions, the BBC's Chris Hogg reports from Tokyo.