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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Japan ups nuke crisis severity to match Chernobyl |
| 2011-04-13 |
[Arab News] Japan raised the severity level of the crisis at its crippled nuclear plant Tuesday to rank it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, citing cumulative radiation leaks that have contaminated the air, tap water, vegetables and seawater.
Japanese nuclear regulators said the rating was being raised from 5 to 7 -- the highest level on an international scale overseen by the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency -- after new assessments of radiation leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant since it was disabled by the March 11 tsunami.
The new ranking signifies a "major accident" that includes widespread effects on the environment and health, according to the Vienna-based IAEA. |
| Posted by:Fred |