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Radiation level rise up to 1000 times above norm in Japanâ€™s Fukushima-1 nuclear plant, people evacuated

12 March 2011 08:11 (UTC +04:00)

Tokyo â€“ APA. Radiation levels rose up to 1,000 times above the norm in Fukushima-1 nuclear plant, APA reports. It is about eight times above the norm outside the station. Increased radiation levels were registered as power shortages caused the reactor to overheat, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said. The quake damaged cooling unit in the nuclear plant, which is located in 259 km north-east of Tokyo. A TEPCO official said cooling system in three nuclear reactors of another in Fukushima prefecture â€“ Fukushima -2 nuclear plant located in 11 km of Fukushima -1, was also damaged. People from nearby areas have been evacuated.
Japan has 53 nuclear energy plants in its territory, which meet 30 percent of the countryâ€™s energy needs.
An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Japan on Friday causing series of tsunamis. Police said at least 433 people were dead, 1,000 injured and hundreds went missing. The natural disaster devastated more than 3400 houses and left three residential areas under the water.