Disaster in Japan: March 17 Live Blog

Disaster in Japan: March 17 Live Blog

Follow the latest events around the Pacific Rim after an 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan's coast triggered a devastating tsunami.

Blog: Mar11-12 - Mar13 - Mar14 - Mar15 - Mar16

(All times are local in Japan GMT+9)

• Timestamp: 

  9:23pm

  Naoto Kan, the prime minister, says in a televised address that he respects the way the country behaved following the disaster.

  Japan will overcome this tragedy and will recover. […] The situation at the Fukushima power plant is still very grave. The fire department and police are working together - putting their lives on the line - to resolve the situation.

• Timestamp: 

  1:16pm

  More than 5,600 people are confirmed dead and almost half a million have been displaced. As survivors search for their loved ones, it is clear the country was not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude. 
  
  Al Jazeera's Steve Chao with the latest from Taro:

• Timestamp: 

  1:09pm

  Fire trucks are to keep dousing reactor No.3 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Japanese defence minister Toshimi Kitazawa says. 

  Teams are trying to restore a power cable to reactors 1 and 2 at the plant to restart pumps needed to pour cold water on overheating fuel rods, but that work would stop to enable the fire trucks to proceed with spraying.

• Timestamp: 

  12:13am

  An employee of Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which operates the nuclear power plant at Fukushima Daiichi, is said to have taken this video showing the damage at the six reactors from a military helicopter circling the site. 
  
  It was broadcast on News23, the 11 o'clock news programme on broadcaster TBS. According to the presenter, water is able to be seen inside one of the buildings.
  
   

• Timestamp: 

  11:28pm

  BBC film-maker Adam Curtis has posted a worrying blog about boiling water reactors, the design used at Fukushima Daiichi. 
  
  According to a documentary he made previously, the potential dangers of these models - namely in the cooling systems  - were known about decades ago 
  
  You can watch the film here.

• Timestamp: 

  11:11pm

  Japan Probe, an English language blog about that country, has collated a number of experts comparing the current situation at Fukushima Daiichi to the Chernobyl disaster. They've also usefully included an Al Jazeera documentary on that disaster for a bit of background: 

  http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/03/17/comparing-chernobyl-fukushima/

• Timestamp: 

  11:00pm

  More on the move by Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) to install outside electricity at the damaged nuclear facility to restore power to the cooling pumps.

  According to news reports in Japan, Thursday's attempt to set up power cables were unsuccessful, delaying the move until Friday. The reasons why are not clear.
  
  It is likely that trucks and heliopters will also be used again to dump water on the reactors in an attempt to cool them down. 

• Timestamp: 

  10:54pm

  France has said it is sending 100 tonnes of boric acid, an element that dampens radiation, to Japan to help tackle the crisis unfolding at Fukushima Daiichi.
  
  "French nuclear group Areva and [electricity supplier] EDF flew this morning a plane with almost 100 tonnes of boric acid and protective equipment including 10,000 suits, 20,000 pairs of gloves and 3,000 masks," the country's foreign ministry said.
  
  It added that  EDF was preparing to send teams and material to help Tokyo Electric Power Co. 
  
  France, which relies more heavily on nuclear energy than any other country, has also offered to help treat any Japanese people affected by radiation poisoning if facilities there are unable to cope. 

• Timestamp: 

  10:20pm

  The head of the UN's atomic watchdog has said he wants to visit the troubled nuclear plant, saying the situation there "continues to be very serious". 
  
  Yukiya Amano is on his way to Tokyo with a small group of nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.  

• Timestamp: 

  10:10pm

  Andrew Thomas, our correspondent in Osaka, just tweeted: 

  Two big aftershocks in the space of the last half hour - and both close to the original 'Big One's' epicentre

• Timestamp: 

  10:00pm

  The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant has said that electricity could be connected to the plant on Thursday, the Reuters news agency has reported.
  
  Tokyo Electric Power Co has said it hopes to connect outside power cables to two of the plant's six reactor units in a bid to restart cooling pumps knocked out last Friday. 

• Timestamp: 

  8:58pm

  Power blackouts can be avoided in the Tokyo area if demand stays at the current level, the trade ministry says.

  Tokyo Electric Power Co has announced rolling blackouts after its power generation was cut due to damage from an earthquake and tsunami to its Fukushima Daiichi power plant, where it is struggling to prevent reactor meltdowns.

  The nation's nuclear safety agency said a new electricity cable was being laid to crippled plant to help restart pumps to cool the overheating reactors.

• Timestamp: 

  8:14pm

  The rescue effort in Japan continues despite bad weather in northeast of the country. Below a recent photo of a rescue worker standing on top of a burned vehicle looking for more bodies hidden amongst the rubble of in the town of Kesennuma, in Miyagi province. [Getty] 

• Timestamp: 

  7:48pm

  Emergency crews temporarily withdrew a water cannon from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex because of high radiation levels, broadcaster NHK says.
  
  The water cannon had been called in to spray the Fukushima Daiichi complex's number 3 reactor, which contains plutonium fuel and has been the top priority for authorities.

• Timestamp: 

  6:44pm

  Israel’s main newspaper Yediot Ahronot highlights a different concern following Japan's disaster: Israel fears sushi shortage after quake

• Timestamp: 

  6:28pm

  South Korean officials detected unusually high levels of radiation on three passengers arriving from Japan on the first day of such checks at the country's main Incheon airport, news reports say.

  A Japanese man in his 50s who is believed to have lived in the Fukushima prefecture had a reading exceeding 1 microsieverts from his hat and coat, which is several times the normal reading, South Korea's Yonhap news agency says.

  The level poses no public health risk and officials will release the three passengers, according to YTN television. South Korea's nuclear safety agency has said it considered 300 nanosieverts per hour as the ceiling of normal level of radiation in atmosphere. One microsievert translates to 1,000 nanosieverts. The checks at the airport were voluntary, a Reuters photographer at the airport says.

• Timestamp: 

  6:17pm

  The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the North East of Japan. British nationals in these areas should consider leaving, reads a statement on its web site.

• Timestamp: 

  4:55pm

  This interactive map shows the extent of the devastation after Friday's 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami: Tracking Japan's disaster

• Timestamp: 

  4:55pm

  Three of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are now relatively stable, officials say. 

  "The first unit is relatively stable, for now," Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Administration. 

  He said reactors 5 and 6 were being powered by a shared diesel generator. 

• Timestamp: 

  4:44pm

  The authorities are still struggling to reduce critical temperatures which could lead to catastrophic collapse and a massive leak of lethal radiation. 

  Al Jazeera's Azar Sukri reports:

• Timestamp: 

  4:30pm

  An unexpected, large-scale power outage is possible in Tokyo and surrounding areas on Thursday evening if power demand exceeds that of this morning, Japan's trade minister says. 

  Trade minister Banri Kaieda says demand this morning almost reached the availanle capacity of Tokyo Electric Power Co, adding that electricity demand usually peaks in the evening or early night.

• Timestamp: 

  3:22pm

  Tokyo shares closed down 1.44 per cent on Thursday, ending off their earlier lows after the yen retreated from a record high and as investors monitor efforts to avert a nuclear disaster.

  The Nikkei-225 index dropped 131.05 points to 8,962.67, giving back some of the gains seen a day earlier when bargain hunters had emerged after two days of heavy selling following the earthquake and tsunami.

  Shares in TEPCO, the operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant at the centre of the crisis, finished down 13.35 per cent on Thursday, extending recent heavy losses.

• Timestamp: 

  3:04pm

  The New York Times offers a good oversight of the six quake stricken reactors at the Fukushima power nuclear plant: Status of the Nuclear Reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant

• Timestamp: 

  2:10pm

  Two CH-47 helicopters were seen scooping up seawater and releasing it over the reactor after another helicopter checked radiation levels in the air. The operation has since been suspended, Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas, reported from Osaka. 

  Only four flights were made and of those water drops by the helicopters only one hit its target. Given that more than a hundred would be required to hit dead-on to fill the reactor with enough water to cool the rods, it is – forgive the phrase – a bit of drop in the ocean at the moment.

  

• Timestamp: 

  12:50pm

  US president Barack Obama told Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan the United States will do all it can to help Japan recover from an earthquake and tsunami. The White House said in a statement after the two leaders spoke by phone:

  The president briefed Prime Minister Kan on the additional support being provided by the US, including specialised military assets with expertise in nuclear response and consequence management. Prime Minister Kan briefed the president on the status of Japanese actions to contain the nuclear emergency and to bring the situation under control.

• Timestamp: 

  12:37pm

  The official death toll of the earthquake and tsunami has risen to 5,198, the Japanese police say. Thousands are still missing. 

• Timestamp: 

  11:45am

  The New York Times has reported that a United Nations forecast of the possible movement of the radioactive plume coming from crippled Japanese reactors shows it churning across the Pacific, and touching the Aleutian Islands on Thursday before hitting Southern California late Friday.

• Timestamp: 

  11:42am

  A Japanese army helicopter dumps water onto troubled nuclear reactor.

• Timestamp: 

  9:47am

  Reuters news agency has reported that the Operators of a quake-crippled nuclear plant in Japan hope to run an electricity cable to the site on Thursday that could help pump water needed to cool reactors and spent fuel rods that have been overheating.
  
  Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials also said that radioactivity levels at the Daiichi nuclear facility, around 240 kms (150 miles) north of Tokyo, were declining.

• Timestamp: 

  6:43am

  A banner is displayed at the Real Madrid Vs Lyon UEFA Champions League match for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

  

  [Picture: GALLO/GETTY]

• Timestamp: 

  6:07am

  IAEA officials warned Japan in December 2008 that nuclear safety rules were outdated and earthquakes could cause "serious problems" for nuclear power stations, according to a leaked US embassy cable, reports Britain's Daily Telegraph:

  The document states: "He [the IAEA official] explained that safety guides for seismic safety have only been revised three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now re-examining them.

  "Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have exceeded the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving seismic safety work."

• Timestamp: 

  5:57am

  The US military has banned access to 13 websites - including YouTube, eBay, Amazon, MTV and ESPN [but not Facebook] on its computer network - to free up bandwidth for relief efforts in Japan, say officers at US Cyber Command. The Pentagon said:

  This action is in no way a reflection on any specific site or the content of any specific site ... [it is] in response to the needs of the military in a time of extreme demand on all circuits and networks in a region of the world that has been devastated by geological activity.

  The step was requested by US Pacific Command, which is overseeing the military's disaster relief efforts, said the Pentagon.

• Timestamp: 

  5:45am

  More from US NRC boss Gregory Jaczko, who earlier spoke in near-apocalyptic tones, has told Congress that he "strongly believes" the United States could "mitigate" the impact of a nuclear crisis similar to the one unfolding in Japan, if it had occured in the US.

• Timestamp: 

  5:25am

  The Yen has hit its highest level against the dollar since World War II, AFP reports.

• Timestamp: 

  5:15am

  Rescue workers look for more bodies from the rubble of Kesennuma, a city destroyed by the devastating earthquake, fires and tsunami.

  

  [Picture: GALLO/GETTY]

• Timestamp: 

  4:57am

  More on that "US nuclear chair" - who has now been named as Gregory Jaczko, the chief of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, currently giving a report to Congress.

  He says all the water has gone from the spent fuel pools at reactor No.4 in Fukushima No.1 facility, Japan's most troubled nuclear plant. This means there is nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and ultimately melting down.

  The outer shell of the rods could also ignite, with enough force to propel the radioactive fuel inside over a wide area, he says.

  Gregory Jaczko did not say how the information was obtained, but the NRC and US Department of Energy both have staff on site at the Fukushima complex of six reactors.

  He says officials believe radiation levels are extremely high, and that could affect workers' ability to stop temperatures from escalating.

• Timestamp: 

  4:30am

  Asia's spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) market has dried up this week as producers earmarked extra cargo for Japanese utilities, rather than put them up for spot sale. Tony Regan, an analyst at Tri-Zen Capital, said:

  Once you start talking to traders, they'll start pushing the prices up... looking in the spot market is the last thing they will do.

• Timestamp: 

  4:20am

  Good evening Britain! We're now live on UK Freeview TV for the next few hours, so do tune in, join us and keep up to date. But if you don't have access to Freeview, or are lucky enough to live in Britain, you can always check out our live TV stream: Watch AJE live.

  And if you're in the US, why not Demand Al Jazeera?

• Timestamp: 

  4:18am

  Staff at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant may receive "lethal doses" of radiation, the US nuclear regulator has told Congress. Gregory Jaczko, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said:

  We believe that around the reactor site there are high levels of radiation. It would be very difficult for emergency workers to get near the reactors. The doses they could experience would potentially be lethal doses in a very short period of time.

  But he noted US authorities did not want to speculate too much on the matter:

  Our information is very limited.

• Timestamp: 

  4:05am

  We've got a new map online, which you can interact with by clicking here. It gives you geo-tagged tweets, YouTube videos, Ushahidi reports - and earthquake sites, news reports, seismic data... and photos. Check it out.

  

• Timestamp: 

  3:54am

  We've got a slideshow of photos online, giving the scene as the tsunami struck. To access it, click here.

  

• Timestamp: 

  3:49am

  The Tokyo Electric Power company says "a new power line that could solve the nuclear crisis is almost ready".

  We'll keep you posted.

• Timestamp: 

  3:25am

  The "US nuclear chair" is being quoted by the AFP news agency as saying there is now "no water at the Fukushima reactor No.4", and radiation levels are "extremely high".

  Read below for why this is a bad thing.

  We'll bring you more details as they emerge...

• Timestamp: 

  3:14am

  The US military has delivered high-pressure water pumps to Japan to help cool Fukushima's crisis-hit nuclear power plant.

  The pumps were ferried to Yokota Air Force Base for use at the crippled Fukushima plant, with four additional pumps delivered from Sasebo, in Japan's southwest, the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement.

  Rising temperatures caused by damage to the cooling system pumps during Friday's earthquake are cauding the water in the reactor cores to turn to steam, increasing pressure, and exposing the fuel rods.

  When the fuel rods become even partly exposed, the temperature increases rapidly, turning more of the water to steam, and increasing pressure even more quickly. When the rods come into contact with steam, rather than water, hydrogen is produced.

  With large amounts of hydrogen held in a container whose heat and pressure is increasing rapidly, there is a risk of an explosion, which may damage the containment vessel and allow nuclear fuel to leak out, spreading large amounts of radiation.

  The high-pressure pumps are used to re-fill the reactor cores as the water level begins to drop, replacing the water at a speed which cools both the rods and the chamber, reducing pressure and averting the potential for a meltdown.

• Timestamp: 

  3:07am

  As foreigners are urged by their governments to consider leaving Tokyo, many Japanese residents are not taking any chances and have started rushing out of the capital.
  
  Concern is growing in the capital that radiation leaking from the Fukushima plant, about 270km away, will spread. Many have begun hoarding supplies of basic necessities, in case they need to spend long periods indoors.
  
  Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports on the mood in the metropolis.

• Timestamp: 

  2:59am

  British officials have advised its citizens in Tokyo and to the city's immediate north to consider leaving the area, say Reuters.

• Timestamp: 

  2:48am

  The US embassy in Tokyo recommends US citizens living within 80km of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant to leave the area or shelter indoors. This echoes an earlier move by the US military.

  The embassy has said this is "precautionary".

  Japanese officials have asked all those within 20km of Fukushima to evacuate their homes, and those living within 20-30km of the plant - some 100,000 people - to remain indoors.

• Timestamp: 

  2:44am

  The debate over the future of nuclear power has just stepped up a notch - with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima plant "raises questions" about the use of nuclear energy in the country. She said:

  
  What's happening in Japan raises questions about the costs and the risks associated with nuclear power, but we have to answer those. We get 20 per cent of our energy right now in the United States from nuclear power.

• Timestamp: 

  2:34am

  A French parliamentary hearing called to discuss the worsening nuclear crisis in Japan has been suspended in uproar - in a spat over a parked car.

  As ministers outlined France's response to the explosions, part-meltdowns and radiation leaks at Fukushima nuclear plant, independent member of parliament Maxime Gremetz stormed into the committee room to complain his car was blocked.

  "That's enough! This is unworthy!" science committee chairman Claude Birraux protested, amid shouts from MPs, enraged by the timing of the interruption.

  After disrupting the hearing - screened on live television - for a second time, Gremetz was ordered to get the car registration number. Committee chairman Birraux told him:

  With Japanese people risking their lives today, don't come here and be a pain in the neck with your story about badly parked cars.

  Energy minister Eric Besson said he was sure the offending vehicle did not belong either to him, or Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, telling the committee:

  If it was either of our cars, I am sure the chauffeurs would be sitting in the front.

• Timestamp: 

  2:10am

  With tens of thousands still missing along the country's north-east coast, battered by the earthquake and tsunami, rescue workers face an extra challenge in their already tough job - the snow.
  
  Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports as the temperatures plummet in the worst-hit regions, where thousands have been made homeless.

• Timestamp: 

  1:47am

  Al Jazeera's D.Parvaz (@DParvaz) has been in touch again, and sent us this photo from Tokyo. She tells us:

  Shelves are never raided like this here. Notice the shelves behind, where candy was stocked, loom pretty full. So people are far from starving - but the basics, which require constant re-stocking, are low - due to some level of panic buying, but also issues with manufacturing and transportation.

  

  [Photo: D.Parvaz]

• Timestamp: 

  1:42am

  Statement from the office of the UN secretary-general:

  The Secretary-General this morning spoke with H.E. Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan.

  The Secretary-General once again extended his sympathy and condolences to the people of Japan for the catastrophic impact inflicted by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, and commended the massive efforts being undertaken to assist those affected. 

  The Secretary-General and Prime Minister Kan also discussed the situation at the Fukushima nuclear plants.

  The Secretary-General remains very concerned while appreciating the Government of Japan’s efforts to contain the risk to the population.

  The Secretary-General reiterated that the United Nations stands ready to provide any additional support if requested.
  
  

• Timestamp: 

  1:35am

  More bad news for those suffering after the earthquake and tsunami wiped out their food stocks. At least nine ships carrying grain are unable to unload their cargoes because of problems at ports hit by the tsunami.

  This is likely to have knock-on effects along the food supply chain.

• Timestamp: 

  1:23am

  The situation at Fukushima is "very serious", says the UN nuclear watchdog chief. So much so, he's on his way. IAEA head Yukiya Amano will fly to Japan tomorrow - for a one-day trip.

• Timestamp: 

  1:03am

  Al Jazeera's D.Parvaz (@DParvaz) sends us this photo of the unusual sight of a queue for the elevator at Shin Osaka train station. This means the train was packed with people travelling with babies in prams, as well as the elderly, fleeing Tokyo, she tells us.

  

  [Picture: D.Parvaz]

  While you're at it, why not also check out the blog post she sent us yesterday: Trying to outrun radiation

  

   

• Timestamp: 

  12:54am

  Some US air crews are being given potassium iodide tablets ahead of missions as a precaution against radiation, says Reuters - though no US military personnel in Japan are showing signs of radiation poisoning, says the Pentagon.

• Timestamp: 

  12:50am

  Some news breaking out of the Pentagon: US forces in Japan are not being allowed within 80km of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant without special authorisation.

  It's worth remembering, for Japanese residents, the evacuation zone around the site is limited to 20km, and those living between 20-30km from the plant encouraged to 'stay indoors'.

• Timestamp: 

  12:32am

  Japanese officials are worried about the state of a pool holding spent nuclear fuel the Fukushima nuclear plant, says the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency saud:

  Japanese authorities have reported concerns about the condition of the spent nuclear fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 and Unit 4.

  The IAEA said Japan's defence minister had announced helicopters planned to drop water onto Unit 3, and officials were also preparing to spray water into Unit 4 from ground positions, and possibly later into Unit 3.

  Some debris on the ground from the March 14 explosion at Unit 3 may need to be removed before the spraying can begin.

• Timestamp: 

  12:22am

  An evacuee from the area around the Fukushima nuclear plant is screened for possible radiation exposure by medical staff using Geiger counters at a public welfare centre in Hitachi City, Ibaraki.

  

  [Picture: Reuters]

• Timestamp: 

  12:02am

  Welcome to our new live blog for March 17. We'll bring you all the latest from Japan as events develop following the devastating earthquake and tsunami - and we'll keep you up to date with reports following the explosions and partial meltdowns at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.