The earquake injured and trapped a number of people and cutting power in several areas. A landslide along a long ridge in the rural town of Atsumi could be seen in aerial footage from public broadcaster NHK. Some 10 people had been taken to hospital with injuries, one of them serious, it said. There were widespread power outages and blocked roads, NHK said, but no early reports of deaths. A man suffered cardiac arrest after falling down the stairs, local media reported. The quake, which struck at 3:08 a.m. (1808 GMT on Wednesday) posed no tsunami risk, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck some 68 km (42 miles) southeast of Sapporo, Hokkaido’s main city. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, arriving at his office before 6 a.m., told reporters his government had set up a command center to coordinate relief and rescue. His voice sounding haggard, Abe said saving lives was his government’s top priority. The Tomari Nuclear Power Station … [Read more...] about Japanese homes engulfed in landslide after powerful quake hits Hokkaido
Nuclear power plant explosion
Vietnam to face power shortage from 2020: conference
Vietnam is forecast to run the risk of electricity shortage during 2020-2030. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is forecast to run the risk of electricity shortage during 2020-2030, heard the annual Vietnam Energy Forum held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Hanoi on August 9. Calculations from the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) showed that to meet the quick increase in electricity demand from now to 2030, the power sector needs to ensure an output of 265-278 billion kWh of electricity in 2020 and from 572-632 billion kWh in the following ten years. Electricity demand expands between 10.3-11.3 percent during 2016-2020 but slows down to 8-8.5 percent during 2021-2030. However, it is still a tough task for the sector to ensure sufficient electricity, especially when many power projects have been delayed. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong stressed that power shortage may start right in the beginning years of the period, with severe deficiency … [Read more...] about Vietnam to face power shortage from 2020: conference
Hà Nội predicts ten potential disasters
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s People’s Committee has predicted ten risks that could result in disasters including those related to fire, pollution, transport, health and nuclear power plants. A project on the management and mitigation of risks facing the city has been approved by local authorities so that they can prepare responsive plans. Among the risks determined in the project was radioactive dust from three nuclear power plants located in the south of China threatens to pollute the air and water sources in the city. The above mentioned plants include a 1,000-megawatt plant in Guangxi, a 600-megawatt plant in Guangdong and a 650-megawatt unit of the plant located in Hainan. All were put into operation in 2016. The plants are located close to the northern border of Việt Nam. The one in Guangxi is 50km from Móng Cái City in Quảng Ninh Province, and less than 500km from Hà Nội. “Hà Nội … [Read more...] about Hà Nội predicts ten potential disasters
Hanoi names China’s possible radiation leaks among top ‘disaster’ risks
Hanoi authorities have approved a project to mitigate risks that could potentially result in disasters for the Vietnamese capital, including nuclear incidents in China. The radiation risk is the only overseas factor the city is worried about, among 10 potential disaster-inducing risks that it is going to focus on. Hanoi is one of the places in northern Vietnam that would be "seriously affected" if the three nuclear plants in southern China encounter incidents, a document on the project said. "Radioactive dust could spread far and wide, polluting the air and water sources," it said. The city has tasked the Department of Science and Technology with drafting a detailed scenario for tackling radiation leaks and nuclear accidents. The three Chinese nuclear power plants, which went into operation in 2016, stand in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces and Hainan Island, all close to Vietnam's northern border. The plant in Guangxi is 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Quang Ninh Province, home to the … [Read more...] about Hanoi names China’s possible radiation leaks among top ‘disaster’ risks
Chernobyl Disaster remembered
Viet Nam News On April 26, 1986 the world was shaken by a terrible tragedy – an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine (then part of the USSR). This accident became the worst nuclear catastrophe in human history. The explosion caused the release of large quantities of radioactive materials into the atmosphere that spread over the western USSR and Europe. This radioactive contamination affected the lives of millions of people, and the world is still living with its consequences. The Chernobyl accident is considered the most disastrous nuclear power plant accident in history, both in terms of cost and casualties. It is one of only two nuclear energy accidents classified as a level 7 event (the maximum classification) on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the other being the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011. Approximately 100,000 sq.km of land were significantly contaminated with fallout, with the worst-hit regions being in … [Read more...] about Chernobyl Disaster remembered