Tokyo, Mar 14: An explosion shook a quake-damaged Japanese nuclear power plant today and plumes of smoke rose from the building, live television showed.
Japan's nuclear safety agency said the blast, at the number 3 reactor at the Fukushima No 1 plant, was believed to be caused by hydrogen.
"We believe it was a hydrogen explosion. It is not immediately known if it affected the reactor," said spokesman Ryo Miyake. (AFP)
Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric Power Co. says three workers have been injured and seven are missing after an explosion at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
Japan's chief cabinet secretary says a hydrogen explosion occurred Monday at the facility's Unit 3. The blast was similar to an earlier one at a different unit at the facility.
Yukio Edano says people within a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius were ordered inside following the blast. AP journalists felt the explosion 25 miles (40 kilometers) away.Edano says the reactor's inner containment vessel holding nuclear rods is intact, allaying some fears of the risk to the environment and public.
More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area in recent days.AP
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