THIRD REACTOR AT NUKE SITE EXPLODES; DIRECT BREACH REPORTED

It has become obvious that a third explosion has occurred and that it is impossible to cool this reactor (named Unit #2 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northern Japan). This makes the accident second only to Chernobyl and may well go beyond that level of radiation release. At this hour three reactors are out of control.

Industry executives in touch with their counterparts in Japan Monday night grew increasingly alarmed about the risks posed by the No. 2 reactor.

“They’re basically in a full-scale panic” among Japanese power industry managers, said a senior nuclear industry executive. The executive is not involved in managing the response to the reactors’ difficulties but has many contacts in Japan. “They’re in total disarray, they don’t know what to do.”