Second blast occurs at Japan's nuclear plant as death toll rises

TOKYO. March 14. KAZINFORM A second hydrogen explosion on Monday rocked the quake-stricken nuclear plant in Japan, as the government is going all-out to prevent a nuclear disaster.

Plumes of white smoke were seen coming from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant following a loud explosion at the plant's No. 3 reactor, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (JNISA) said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said seven people went missing and 11 were injured after the explosion.

The agency said the wall of the reactor building collapsed, confirming eye-witness reports that only the building's skeletal structure remained.

The likelihood of high levels of radiation in the area is low, the agency said, but warned the 600 people who were still in the 20-km evacuation zone to leave immediately.

The agency also said large amounts of hydrogen have amassed in the upper parts of the reactor building, where the pressure remained unusually high, similar to that of the No. 1 reactor building, which also exploded on Saturday, Xinhuanet reports.

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