Fourth blast at nuclear plant brings call from Japan’s PM

In a televised statement yesterday, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation had spread from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant along part of Japan’s north-east coast and asked anyone living within 19 miles of the plant who has not already been moved to stay indoors.

The region was shattered by Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami which is believed to have killed more than 10,000 people and left half a million stranded in temporary shelters. As rescuers continued to search through the rubble last night, one leading British seismoligist said the tsunami was a “once-in-a-thousand-years event.”

The latest explosion at Fukushima means four of its six reactors have now blown up, with the two most recent incidents seemingly the most serious. Last night there were reports of a second fire at the plant.

An explosion at Number Two reactor late on Monday night damaged the containment unit designed to prevent radiation escaping. And the first fire followed an explosion at Number Four reactor yesterday, raging unabated for three hours, is thought to have pumped further dangerous radiation into the air.

Chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano said: “Now we are talking about levels that can damage human health. These are readings taken near the area where we believe the releases are happening.

“Please stay indoors. Close windows and make your homes airtight. Don’t turn on ventilators. Hang your laundry indoors.”

Only areas close to the plant were affected, with radiation tests carried out on residents living nearby. Experts insist there is still little threat to Tokyo.