Japan has revised its dead and missing totals caused by the earthquake and tsunami to 8,000 plus and 12,000-plus respectively, but says there is some hope for optimism in the fight to avert a total disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The dead and missing figure is still subject to massive increases.
The unprecedented three-part crisis now is expected to cost the world's third largest economy nearly US$200 billion in reconstruction work - assuming nuclear plant repair/containment costs don't spiral. Fukushima already has caused a global rethink on the use of nuclear power.
At the Fukushima complex itself, the most critical reactor - Number 3, which holds toxic plutonium - stabilised after being doused with hundreds of tonnes of water.
Work also advanced on bringing power back to the water pumps used to cool the overheating nuclear fuel, but it still is not known whether the plant pumps will be usable or even whether they were damaged by the earthquake and/or subsequent explosions at the plant.
"We are making progress, (but) we shouldn't be too optimistic," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy-general at Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency.
If the containment efforts fail, the plant may have to be buried in sand and concrete - as happened at Chernobyl.
On the negative side, there now is evidence that some radiation has entered the food chain and water table.
Traces exceeding national safety standards were found in milk from a farm about 30 kilometres from the plant and in spinach grown in the Ibaraki prefecture. Also, low levels of radioactive iodine have been detected in Tokyo tap water.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the largest in Japan's recorded history, is believed to have moved the Oshika peninsula in Miyagi prefecture 5.3 metres east.
In cold winter weather, about 257,000 households in the north still have no electricity and at least one million lack running water.
More dead and missing, small gains at Fukushima
Latest News
Monday, 21 March 2011
Japan has revised its dead and missing totals caused by the earthquake and tsunami to 8,000 plus and 12,000-plus respectively, but says there is some hope for optimism in the fight to avert a total disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The dead and missing figure is still subject to massive increases.
The unprecedented three-part crisis now is expected to cost the world's third largest economy nearly US$200 billion in reconstruction work - assuming nuclear plant repair/containment costs don't spiral. Fukushima already has caused a global rethink on the use of nuclear power.
At the Fukushima complex itself, the most critical reactor - Number 3, which holds toxic plutonium - stabilised after being doused with hundreds of tonnes of water.
Work also advanced on bringing power back to the water pumps used to cool the overheating nuclear fuel, but it still is not known whether the plant pumps will be usable or even whether they were damaged by the earthquake and/or subsequent explosions at the plant.
"We are making progress, (but) we shouldn't be too optimistic," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy-general at Japan's Nuclear Safety Agency.
If the containment efforts fail, the plant may have to be buried in sand and concrete - as happened at Chernobyl.
On the negative side, there now is evidence that some radiation has entered the food chain and water table.
Traces exceeding national safety standards were found in milk from a farm about 30 kilometres from the plant and in spinach grown in the Ibaraki prefecture. Also, low levels of radioactive iodine have been detected in Tokyo tap water.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the largest in Japan's recorded history, is believed to have moved the Oshika peninsula in Miyagi prefecture 5.3 metres east.
In cold winter weather, about 257,000 households in the north still have no electricity and at least one million lack running water.
