Naoto Sekimura, a professor at the University of Tokyo, says "No Chernobyl is possible at a light water reactor. Loss of coolant means a temperature rise, but it also will stop the reaction”
Explosion at Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi plant heard around 0630 GMT - media
Japan Nuclear Safety Commission: still trying to confirm if there was an explosion at Fukushima plant; Several people appear to have been injured after reported Fukushima plant explosion - Jiji
Japan Nuclear Safety Agency: has heard explosion was not at reactor
Outer structure of building that houses reactor at Fukushima plant appears to have blown off - NHK
Several people appear to be injured at Fukushima nuclear plant - NHK
Tokyo fire department sending special nuclear rescue team to Fukushima - TV
Tepco says explosion may have been hydrogen used to cool Fukushima plant - Kyodo; Tepco says 4 people taken to hospital after reported explosion, no word on condition - Jiji
Fukushima prefecture says Tepco's no.1 reactor ceiling has collapsed - Jiji
Jiji news agency said there had been an explosion at the stricken 40-year-old Daichi 1 reactor and TV footage showed vapour rising from the plant, which lies 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo
Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano: expands evacuation area at no.2 plant to 10 km
TEPCO says 4 people who were injured after explosion don't have life-threatening injuries - Kyodo
Japan chief cabinet secretary Edano: Confirms radiation leak at Fukushima plant
If the reactors can be or have been stabilized, next step is to make sure cooling is restored to water in the uncontained spent-fuel pools, which can otherwise boil dry in about a day, overheat, and burn. Fortunately there are probably ways to improvise cooling if necessary...but there's a lot of gigacuries in those pools.
@Andrew Even if fuel rods are exposed, it does not mean they would start melting right away," said Tomoko Murakami, leader of the nuclear energy group at Japan's Institute of Energy Economics.
