Evacuation zone expanded

[rpierce000]

This is NOT good news...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13408055

I especially did not like the part about repair work suspended. I wonder how long it will be before life is ANYWHERE near normal around that plant. My aunt missed being outside for the Chernobyl rainstorm by 15 minutes, I wonder who didn't get missed outside of Fukushima?

[westfalen]

This was reported on the midday ABC TV news in Australia too.

A 30km exclusion zone would mean an almost 60km long section of the northern end of the Joban Line will be out of service, maybe for many years.

[Mudkip Orange]

What's the service pattern on the Joban look like now? Are they just turning back Tokyo trains before they hit the exclusion zone?

[KenS]

The expansion isn't surprising.  TEPCO admitted yesterday that the core of #1 had melted down, although they thought the fuel was still contained in the building even though highly-radioactive water probably wasn't. And it's a strong possibility that the cores of the other two units also failed, although they won't know until they regain access to their control rooms.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110516p2a00m0na028000c.html

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/key-nuclear-facilities-may-have-been-damaged-before-tsunami