Japan Raises Alert Level at Fukushima Plant

By Kartikeya Sharma

Japan on Friday raised the severity rating of its nuclear disaster from level 4 to 5 on a seven-point international scale for atomic incidents as firefighters continued with their efforts to cool highly radioactive fuel rods at Fukushima nuclear plant complex.

At level 5, the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant site was just two levels below Ukraine’s 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Level 4 is meant for incidents with local consequences, while level 5 denotes broader fallout.

Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency official Ryohei Shiomi confirmed the higher rating for the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

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