BREAKING NEWS: Sources Say Containment Breached At Fukushima Dai-ichi Plant

Explosion rocks third Japanese reactor

Sources tell NBC News the blast breached the container; radiation leaking

SOMA, Japan — A third explosion in four days rocked the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in northeast Japan early Tuesday, the country's nuclear safety agency said.

Two sources told NBC News' Robert Bazell that the latest blast breached the containment structure and that radiation has leaked out.

Chief government spokesman Yukio Edano told news agencies that the suppression pool appeared to be damaged. He said, however, that measuring devices in the area did not indicate an increase in radiation as a result of the damage.

The suppression pool is used to turn steam back into water to cool the reactor and also plays a role in removing radioactive particles from the steam.

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