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By Geoff Filipiak on March 15, 2011
Filed in U.S. and World

Diagram of reactors thanks to ModernSurvivalBlog.com

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE BBC

A fire has erupted in building 4 of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northern Japan where spent radioactive fuel rods are being kept.

Four previous explosions at the plant caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a 33 foot tsunami have allowed radioactive steam to escape.

This is the second fire to hit the fuel rod storage building in 24 hours.

Seawater is being pumped into reactors one and three and radioactivity levels there are returning back to normal.

Pumping is continuing into reactor two, which is remaining unstable.

Japan’s nuclear safety administration says that the blast may have caused damage to reactor two’s suppression chamber, allowing the radioactive steam to escape.

Aircraft are not permitted to fly within 18.5 miles of the damaged nuclear plant.

Current readings by the International Atomic Energy Agency at the plant’s front gate are 0.6 millisieverts, with a single radiation dose of 1,000 millisieverts considered dangerous enough to cause temporary radiation sickness, nausea, and vomiting.

A diagram from BBC showing just how wide the evacuation zone is around the nuclear power plant.

Thousands stranded by the earthquake and tsunami have been struggling to survive without heat or electricity in near freezing temperatures due to rolling blackouts imposed after the Fukushima plant stopped generating power.