Japan’s Nuclear Crisis Worsened, Severity Level Increasing to Seven

Japan's nuclear crisis worsened on 12 April 2011 with the severity level at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant increasing to a maximum seven level bringing it at par with the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe in Russia. An aftershock of 7.1 had rocked the northeast yesterday killing one person and injuring five others.

Japan is still struggling to recover from the 11 March Earthquake and Tsunami that devastated the northern parts of the country. The decision to raise the threat level at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant was made after radiation of 10000 terabequerels per hour had been estimated at the plant for several hours.

Japan's Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency however said radiation emissions from the plant, were a tenth of that from the Chernobyl accident. The agency said, the severity level was upgraded to seven as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread affected the air, vegetables, tap water and the ocean. Level seven signifies a major accident with wider consequences.