Japan earthquake triggers nuclear shutdown Japan's prime
minister has declared a "nuclear emergency" after a number of
reactors shut down in the wake of a massive earthquake hitting
the country. Eleven reactors at four nuclear power stations
automatically shut down, but officials said one reactor's
cooling system failed to operate correctly. Under Japanese law,
an emergency must be declared if a cooling system fails. In
total, the country has 55 reactors providing about one-third of
the nation's electricity. In a statement, the Japan Atomic
Industrial Forum said Prime Minister Naoto Kan had declared the
emergency "in case prompt action" had to be taken, but added
that "no release of radioactive material" had been detected.
AFFECTED POWER PLANTS - Onagawa - all three reactors shut down
automatically - Fukushima Daiichi - reactors 1,2 and 3 shut down
automatically; reactors 4,5 and 6 were not in operation; reactor
1 was not cooling as expected - Fukushima Daini - all four
reactors shut down automatically - Toka