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The Fukushima nuclear plant in Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan (2008 file photo) Photo: Reuters |
VOA News
March 12, 2011
A Japanese government spokesman has urged for calm following an explosion at one of two nuclear plants damaged in Friday's massive earthquake.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says authorities are monitoring radiation levels at Fukushima, where smoke could be seen billowing out of the nuclear plant complex. Japanese media say radiation levels are more than eight times normal outside the plant.
He urged people to follow earlier orders to evacuate the area 10 kilometers around the plant.
Before the explosion occurred, authorities said radioactive material had been found outside one of the plant's reactors, which had lost power and cooling abilities following the magnitude 8.9 quake and tsunami.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said 50,000 troops would join rescue and recovery efforts across the country.
Japanese media report more than 1,200 people are dead or missing.
Entire villages were washed away Friday by waves as high as 10 meters that carried vehicles, buildings and debris several kilometers inland. The earthquake and tsunami damaged highways and other infrastructure, further hampering rescuers' efforts to reach people stranded on their roofs and trapped in affected areas.
Japan's Tepco electric company is warning of massive power outages in the coming days across large areas of the country.
Japanese authorities said 200 to 300 bodies have been found in Sendai, the city closest to the quake, which was the most powerful on record to hit Japan and the world's fifth largest in more than a century. They say 700 people are missing and 1,000 people have been injured.
Northeast of Sendai, fires raged through the night Friday in Kesennuma, a town of 70,000 people. A large fire also erupted at an oil refinery in Ichihara, near Tokyo.
In Tokyo, the quake forced a suspension of all train and subway services, leaving millions of people stranded. Several airports were also closed, but some, including Tokyo's Narita have reopened.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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(CNN) -- The powerful earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami Friday appears to have BURIED HUN SEN, HENG SAN RIN AND CHEA SIM 8 feet (2.4 meters) the Earth on its axis.
ណាមួយសាហាវជាង?
១- កម្លាំងស៊ូណាមីខ្លាំងមែនពិត
ប្រល័យជីវិតមនុស្សមុឺនសែន
អ្នកវិទ្្យសាស្រ្តគេដឹងបែបផែន
វាគ្មានបត់បែន គេវាស់វាបាន ។
២- កម្លាំងធម្មជាតិវាគ្មានបំណង
បក់្េបាកម្តងៗក៏ពិបាកស្មាន
ទេាះគេព្យាកណរ៍ មិនងាយរុញច្រាន
ទប់ទល់ឈ្នះបាន ដូចយេីងឃេីញស្រាប់ ។
៣- រីចិត្តមនុស្សវិញសាហាវជាងហ្នឹង
ពេលណាមនុស្សខឹងក៏បំពានច្បាប់
អាងគុកច្រវាក់ ចាក់កសម្លាប់
គ្មានគ្រឿងប្រដាប់វាស់ចិត្តមនុស្សបាន ។
៤- យេីងខ្មែរដែលបានរស់មកហេីយនេះ
ត្រូវគេជាន់ជិះប្រៀបដូចតិរច្ឆាន
ព្រេាះមេខ្មែរខ្លះចិត្តទ្រុស្តសាមាន្យ
មិនអាចវាស់បានដូចស៊ូណាមី ។
៥- ថាអ្នកល្ងង់ចុះលុះក្នុងអវិជ្ជា
ធ្លាបតែរកសុីកកាយធរណី
ពេលបានឡេីងធំក៏ឆ្កួតវក់វី
វង្វេងគ្រប់គ្នាព្រេាះតែអំណាច ។
៦- ធម្មជាតិ្េបាកបក់ឆក់យកជីវិត
គួរឱ្យភ័យភិត គួរឱ្យយេីងខ្លាច
តែយេីងយល់បានថាយេីងមិនអាច
អាងយ៉ាងបន្លាចតបធម្មជាតិវិញ ។
៧- អ្នកចេះស្រុកយេីងមានច្រេីនមែនពិត
កាលពួកបណ្ឌិតក៏ខ្មែរទេាម្នេញ
គេថាទុកយេីងក៏មិនចំណេញ
គេដកយេីងចេញក៏គេមិនខាត ។
៨- នេះហេីយចរិតមេខ្មែរដឹកនាំ
គ្រប់តែជំនាន់ ឃេីញតែប្រមាថ
មេីលងាយរាស្រ្តខ្មែរក្រីក្រល្អិតល្អាត
សាហាវជាងធម្មជាតិនិងសត្វតិរច្ឆាន ។
៩- សូមញាតិមេត្តាវិចារណ៍មេីលចុះ
ធម្មជាតិនិងមនុស្ស នរណាសាមាន្យ
គ្រេាះកាចធម្មជាតិ យេីងអនុគ្រេាះបាន
មនុស្សចិត្តតិរច្ឆាន យេីងត្រូវទូទាត់ ។
No matter how one feels about nuclear energy, there are many, many people working to avert this disaster, and putting themselves at an awful risk in the process. Nuclear energy is not safe. Sure if everything goes according to plan running a nuclear power plant is safe, but once the plan deviates the potential for disaster grows rapidly. This does not even begin to touch on the issue of the level of danger associated with the waste these plants produce.
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