ContentJapanSays2ndReactorMayHaveRupturedWithRadioactiveRelease..............1LastDefenseatTroubledReactors:50JapaneseWorkers........................................6InRemoteTowns,SurvivorsTellofaWave’sPower..............................................10JapaneseStocksReboundAfterBigSell-Off..............................................................13CertaintiesofModernLifeUpendedinJapan...........................................................15PrecautionsShouldLimitHealthProblemsFromNuclearPlant’sRadiation..19JapanSays2ndReactorMayHaveRupturedWithRadioactiveReleaseTokyoElectricPower,viaKyodoNews,viaAssociatedPressAttheFukushimaDaiichinuclearplant,reactorsNo.3,left,andNo.4,center,havebeendamaged.ByHIROKOTABUCHIandKEITHBRADSHERPublished:March15,2011TOKYO—Japan’snuclearcrisisintensifiedagainWednesday,withJapaneseauthoritiesannouncingthatacontainmentvesselinasecondreactorunitatthestrickenFukushimaDaiichiplantinnortheasternJapanmayhaverupturedandappearedtobereleasingradioactivesteam.Thatwouldbethesecondvesseltobecompromisedintwodays.Thevesselhadappearedtobethelastfullyintactlineofdefenseagainstlarge-scalereleasesofradioactivematerials,butitwasnotclearhowseriousthepossiblebreachmightbe.TheannouncementcameafterJapanesebroadcastersshowedlivefootageofthickplumesofsteamrisingabovetheplant.YukioEdano,thechiefcabinetsecretary,saidthegovernmentbelievedthesteamwascomingfromtheNo.3reactor,whereanexplosiononMondayblewoutpartofthebuildingsurroundingthecontainmentvessel.Thereactorhasthreelayersofprotection:thatbuilding;thecontainmentvessel,andthemetalcladdingaroundfuelrods,whichareinsidethereactor.ThegovernmenthassaidthatthoserodsattheNo.3reactorwerelikelyalreadydamaged.Earlierinthemorning,thecompanythatrunstheplantreportedthatafirewasburningatadifferentreactor,justhoursafterofficialssaidflamesthateruptedTuesdayhadbeendoused.AgovernmentofficialatJapan’snuclearregulatoryagencysaidthatflamesandsmokewerenolongervisible,buthecautionedthatitwasunclearifthefire,attheReactorNo.4building,haddiedout.HealsowasnotclearifitwasanewfireorifthefireTuesdayhadnevergoneout.Thereareatotalofsixreactorsattheplant.Thedevelopmentsaretroublingremindersofthedifficultiesthecompanyishavinginbringingtheplant,whichhassufferedmultipleexplosionssinceSaturday,undercontrol.Andtheconfusionisemblematicofdaysofoftencontradictoryreportsaboutwhatishappeningattheplant.Thecompany,TokyoElectricPower,saysitcannotknowforsurewhatishappeninginmanycasesbecauseitistoodangerousforworkerstogetclosetosomereactors.ThesituationbecameespeciallydireonTuesday,whenreleasesofradiationledthecompanytopullmostofitsworkersfromtheplant.Oneoftheauthorities’mainconcernsareoverpoolsforspentfuelrodsatseveralreactorsattheplant,includingReactorNo.4,wherethepoolhaslostsomeofthewaterneededtokeepthefuelrodsstable.Therodsarestillradioactiveandpotentiallyashotanddangerousasthefuelrodsinsidethereactors.MinoruOgoda,theofficialwithJapan’snuclearregulatoryagency,saidaproposedplantousehelicopterstoputmorecoldwaterintothepoolwaslookingunlikely.HesaidTokyoElectricwouldprobablytrytospraywaterintothereactorbuildingthroughagapingholeinthewallblastedopenbyanearlierexplosion.Theholeorholesintheroofcausedbythatblastdidnotappearbigenoughtoallowsufficientamountsofwaterin,hesaid.ThatexplosiononTuesdaywascausedbyhydrogengasbubblingupfromchemicalreactionssetoffbyt...
