Japan earthquake triggers nuclear plant fire

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Japan earthquake triggers nuclear plant fire

By our foreign staff
Last Updated: 2:58am BST 17/07/2007

A strong earthquake has killed at least five people in northwestern Japan, injured more than 600, flattened houses and started a small fire at the world's largest nuclear power plant.

Buildings swayed as far away as Tokyo, and nuclear power reactors in Niigata prefecture automatically shut down for checks but there were no radiation leaks reported.

Two women in their 80s died when their homes collapsed during the magnitude 6.8 tremor, centred in Niigata prefecture about 250 km (155 miles) northwest of Tokyo, Japanese media said.

A police spokesman confirmed five deaths, with media reporting another elderly woman and a couple were among the dead.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/16/wquake116.xml

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&q=japan+earthquake+nuclear&btnG=Google+Search

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1. Nuclear Leak Scare after Japan Earthquake

The fire at one of the plant's electrical transformers posed no threat to the nuclear reactors and has been extinguished, but radioactive water nevertheless found its way into the sea, reports claim. Photo by BGNES

Officials at the world's biggest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki in central Japan, said the powerful earthquake that hit the area earlier in the day has caused a radioactive leak, BBC reported.

Water containing radioactive material has seeped out into the sea after the 6.8 degrees earthquake hit the Niigata province, 250 kilometres north of capital Tokyo, on Monday morning.

It also caused a fire at the power plant, which was extinguished. Three of its reactors automatically went offline, while a fourth reactor, which was not fully operational, was also halted.

The seismic activity killed at least seven people and injured hundreds. It destroyed scores of buildings, cutting communication lines, power and natural gas supply to tens of thousands of households in the province.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=83087

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2. Do we have any DUers in Japan? Check in please!

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3. Am I the only person who thinks this is news? Too much going on in the world...

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4. NRC says ready to help on quake-hit nuclear plant

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. nuclear regulators say they are prepared to provide technical expertise after a strong earthquake hit Japan on Monday, sparking a small radiation leak and fire at the world's biggest nuclear power plant.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. shut down three major generators at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant after a powerful earthquake in Japan on Monday caused a brief fire in one of the units, company officials said.

As of late on Monday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it had not received any official request for aid from Japan, but stood ready to weigh such request if one was made.

"We're gathering information, and if any requests for assistance are made we are ready to respond under our existing agreement," said Scott Burnell, a spokesman for the NRC, which oversees the 104 operating U.S. civilian reactors.

TEPCO, Asia's biggest utility, said 1,200 liters (317 U.S. gallons) of water containing radioactive materials had leaked from a unit closed for maintenance at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.

Burnell did not comment on the state of the nuclear plant.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSPAR75614620070717

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5. The Update: Japan nuclear fears VIDEO

http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=60856

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6. kick