Radioactive explosion at Fukushima nuclear plant seems to indicate a level 6 catastrophe, almost as bad as Chernobyl

The radiation that emanates from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant can now affect human life. Three explosions in as many days has probably damaged one of the reactor containment chambers and endangered the spent fuel rods in a storage pool at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Japan. A total of four reactors are now affected by various problems, which threatens to turn the Fukushima nuclear disaster one of the worst ever. Right now is only the second most devastating nuclear incident, after Chernobyl.

An explosion overnight at Unit 4 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant opened two large holes in the structure housing spent nuclear fuel rods in a large pool. According to MSNBC:

Japanese officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the spent fuel storage area had caught fire and that radioactivity was “being released directly into the atmosphere.”

After the fire was extinguished, a Japanese official said the spent fuel pool might still be boiling, though the reported levels of radiation had dropped dramatically by evening.

Experts noted that much of the leaking radiation was apparently in steam from boiling water. It had not been emitted directly by fuel rods, which would be far more virulent, they said.

This clip from MSNBC highlights the danger we are in:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy