
In Japan, fear of a full-blown nuclear catastrophe rises after radiation levels surge at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, north of Tokyo.
A new fire at one of the plant’s reactors is believed to be the cause of the dangerous rise in radiation levels. Safety concerns forced emergency workers at the plant to withdraw on Wednesday, paralyzing efforts to cool down the overheating reactors.
Since last Friday’s earthquake and tsunami, Japan is trying desperately to avoid an environmental catastrophe, but radiation leaking into the air is making it difficult to control the disaster.