Emergency at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 7:33AM At Tokyo Power's Fukushima Daiichi plant, three reactors shut down automatically as designed after a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck off the northeast of Japan on Friday afternoon. The quake also caused diesel-powered generators used to cool the reactors to stop operating, leaving the utility company with a shortage of coolant to bring the reactors to a safe temperature.
Now officials are mandating that 2000 residents in the area evacuate immediately. Also military personnel in radiation protective gear have been seen entering the plant. One expert is saying they are monitoring the coolness of the core of the nuclear reactor.
This is the nuclear power plant that is closest in proximity to the center of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan.
