Japan suspends operations to prevent a stricken nuclear plant from melting down after surge in radiation make it too dangerous for workers at the facility, as rescue teams search for remaining victims of the quake and tsunami.
Japanese officials are scrambling to find ways to contain radiation leaks and combat deteriorating conditions at the troubled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which was damaged by the country's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
The country has ordered a nearby 140,000 people to seal themselves indoors after a series of explosions and fires at the plant. The latest fire, at the plant's No. 4 reactor, is under control, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co., the owner of the facility, which blamed it on an earlier fire that hadn't been fully extinguished. But Japan's nuclear agency was unable to confirm that the blaze had been put out, and clouds of white smoke were billowing from the reactor, according to live video footage of the plant.
The agency also reported that damage to the fuel rods at the No. 1 reactor were at 70 percent. Kyodo News added that 33 percent of the second reactor's fuel rods were also damaged.
Officials said radiation levels in areas around the nuclear plant rose early Tuesday afternoon but appeared to subside by evening.
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