Fire at nuclear reactor after big quake in Japan!!!

[melvin]

Fire at nuclear reactor after big quake in Japan
Posted: 16 July 2007 1042 hrs

TOKYO - A strong earthquake struck off the coast of central Japan Monday, collapsing houses, triggering small tsunami waves and setting off a fire at a nuclear power plant.

The tremor measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck off Niigata prefecture in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and set off 50-centimetre (20-inch) tsunami waves which hit the coast within minutes, the meteorological agency said.

Television footage showed fire billowing at a nuclear power plant in Kashiwazaki, close to the epicentre, although there was no apparent risk of radiation.

Plant officials said the fire was in the electrical part of the facility and that the reactor automatically shut down following the jolt.

"We have reports that at least three houses collapsed," said an official from police in the hard-hit city of Kashiwazaki.

"One person was rescued from one of the houses and is being rushed to hospital," the official said. "We do not know yet if there are other people trapped under the two other houses."

The quake also triggered mudslides in the city, where soil was already loose after a major typhoon over the weekend that left four people dead or missing and flooded hundreds of homes across Japan.

The government set up crisis-management headquarters, central government officials said.

On the Japanese scale which measures seismic intensity, the earthquake registered six out of seven, meaning it had the potential to cause damage.

The earthquake, at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), was powerful enough to rattle buildings in Tokyo more than 200 kilometres away.

Railway operators said bullet trains were automatically suspended as a precaution, while Niigata airport temporarily closed its runways immediately after the quake to check for damage.

Japan lies at the junction of four tectonic plates and endures about 20 percent of the world's most powerful earthquakes.

Niigata was also the scene of a major 6.8 Richter-scale earthquake in October 2004. Forty-six people were killed, many of them elderly who suffered fatigue and stress as they stayed in shelters and felt hundreds of aftershocks.

The 2004 Niigata earthquake was Japan's deadliest since January 1995, when a 7.3-magnitude tremor destroyed much of the western metropolis of Kobe, killing more than 6,400 people. - AFP/ir

 

[Static]

 

[redstorm]

Japan is the most earthquake prone country in the world. The big one is over-due in Tokyo. So scary.

 

[eikin]

another rather big earthquake just hit Hokkaido, almost the entire east coast of Japan felt it.

 

[garou12]

another rather big earthquake just hit Hokkaido, almost the entire east coast of Japan felt it.

damn when it rains it really pours...

 

[eikin]

damn when it rains it really pours...

yah, not forgetting a rather major typhoon just blew past last weekend

 

[Halfmoon]

Terrible.... the world weather is going bonker!!

 

[eikin]

Terrible.... the world weather is going bonker!!

maybe ... but typhoons are pretty common, just that the last one was stronger ... the unusually active platonic movement is pretty worrying though

 

[deckard]

i hope the internet cables are still holding strong.

 

[BlueBull]

internet cables????

i hope not too many people die or gets injured!

 

[Wolfgang]

I hope all is well and most people will emerge unscathed... Meanwhile, here is wishing all of our CS members who are in Japan a safe passage home. For those who are residing or studying there, do take care.

Cheers,
WG

 

[melvin]

maybe ... but typhoons are pretty common, just that the last one was stronger ... the unusually active platonic movement is pretty worrying though

Good to know that u all are safe n sound over there!:thumbsup: Lucky there is no risk of radiation from the nuclear plant!:sweat:

Take care!

 

[Wai]

Japan is the most earthquake prone country in the world. The big one is over-due in Tokyo. So scary.

Indonesia too, imagine if they really build a nuclear plant there

 

[dEthANGeL]

Not to mention but this is a grim reminder to our neighbours who are intending to build a nuclear power plant along the fault lines...

 

[dEthANGeL]

Indonesia too, imagine if they really build a nuclear plant there

:bsmilie: you're fast...

 

[melvin]

Quake hits off Taiwan
Posted: 17 July 2007 0941 hrs

TAIPEI - An undersea earthquake of magnitude 5.2 rocked eastern Taiwan Tuesday, the Central Weather Bureau said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The tremor struck at 07:42 am (2342 GMT Monday) with an epicentre 24.6 kilometres (15.3 miles) northeast of Hungyeh in Hualien county. It occurred at a depth of 18.6 kilometres. The bureau did not issue a tsunami alert.

Taiwan, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates, is regularly shaken by earthquakes. - AFP/ir

:think: wonder if these two quakes are related?

 

[melvin]

I hope all is well and most people will emerge unscathed... Meanwhile, here is wishing all of our CS members who are in Japan a safe passage home. For those who are residing or studying there, do take care.

Cheers,
WG

Dun know if this is the latest?
Japan quake causes nuclear plant leak, kills eight!!!
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/288550/1/.html

Hope got no more liao!

 

[melvin]

Err... this is the latest(9 killed):
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/288613/1/.html

 

[eikin]

Dun know if this is the latest?
Japan quake causes nuclear plant leak, kills eight!!!
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/288550/1/.html

Hope got no more liao!

think the title quite misleading leh ... over sensationalising, make it sound like the leak killed 8 persons. so far the leak of radioactive material in water has been tested as low level in radioactivity and below harmful levels, think that should be accurate if not a mass evacuation would have taken place already. really don't like CNA news titles.

 

[Sniper ShutterBug]

Nikon and Canon factory not affected right