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FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT UPDATE (11 March 2011, 21:10 UTC)
Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) that officials are working to restore power to the cooling systems of the Unit 2 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Mobile electricity supplies have arrived at the site.
Japanese officials have also reported that pressure is increasing inside the Unit 1 reactor's containment, and the officials have decided to vent the containment to lower the pressure. The controlled release will be filtered to retain radiation within the containment.
Three reactors at the plant were operating at the time of the earthquake, and the water level in each of the reactor vessels remains above the fuel elements, according to Japanese authorities.
The IAEA's IEC continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities, and is in full response mode to monitor the situation closely round the clock.
IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES FOLLOWING JAPAN EARTHQUAKE (11 March 2011, 20:50 CET)
"I would like to express my condolences and sympathies to the people of Japan who have suffered from this earthquake and to the Government of Japan," said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.
FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT UPDATE (11 March 2011, 20:30 CET)
Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) that today's earthquake and tsunami have cut the supply of off-site power to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In addition, diesel generators intended to provide back-up electricity to the plant's cooling system were disabled by tsunami flooding, and efforts to restore the diesel generators are continuing.
At Fukushima Daiichi, officials have declared a nuclear emergency situation, and at the nearby Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, officials have declared a heightened alert condition.
Japanese authorities say there has so far been no release of radiation from any of the nuclear power plants affected by today's earthquake and aftershocks.
The IAEA's IEC continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities, and is in full response mode to monitor the situation closely round the clock.
FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT UPDATE (11 March 2011, 16:55 UTC)
Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) that they have ordered the evacuation of residents within a three-kilometre radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and told people within a 10-kilometre radius to remain indoors.
The Japanese authorities say there has so far been no release of radiation from any of the nuclear power plants affected by today's earthquake and aftershocks.
"The IAEA continues to stand ready to provide technical assistance of any kind, should Japan request this," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said.
The IAEA's IEC continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities, and is in full response mode to monitor the situation closely round the clock.
FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT UPDATE (11 March 2011, 11:45 UTC)
The IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre has received information from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) that a heightened state of alert has been declared at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. NISA says the plant has been shut down and no release of radiation has been detected.
Japanese authorities have also reported a fire at the Onagawa nuclear power plant, which has been extinguished. They say Onagawa, Fukushima-Daini and Tokai nuclear power plants were also shut down automatically, and no radiation release has been detected.
The IAEA received information from its International Seismic Safety Centre that a second earthquake of magnitude 6.5 has struck Japan near the coast of Honshu, near the Tokai plant.
The IAEA is seeking further details on the situation at Fukushima Daiichi and other nuclear power plants and research reactors, including information on off-site and on-site electrical power supplies, cooling systems and the condition of the reactor buildings. Nuclear fuel requires continued cooling even after a plant is shut down.
The IAEA is also seeking information on the status of radioactive sources in the country, such as medical and industrial equipment.
The World Meteorological Organization has informed the IAEA that prevailing winds are blowing eastwards, away from the Japanese coast.
All IAEA staff in Japan, both in the Tokyo office and in nuclear facilities, are confirmed to be safe.
FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT UPDATE (11 March 2011, 08:30 UTC)
The IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre received information from the International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC) at around 08:15 CET this morning about the earthquake of magnitude 8.9 near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.
The Agency is liaising with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to confirm further details of the situation. Japanese authorities reported that the four nuclear power plants closest to the quake have been safely shut down.
The Agency has sent an offer of Good Offices to Japan, should the country request support.
Current media reports say a tsunami alert has been issued for 50 countries, reaching as far as Central America. The Agency is seeking further information on which countries and nuclear facilities may be affected.