JAPAN WARNS OF ANOTHER POSSIBLE BLAST AT QUAKE-HIT NUCLEAR PLANT

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TOKYO, March 13 (NNN-KUNA) -- The Japanese government on Sunday warned of the risk of a second explosion at the quake-hit Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant, 240 km north of Tokyo, but said it is unlikely to pose new serious radiation problems.

"There is the possibility of an explosion in the No. 3 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a press conference.

However, the top government spokesman said the reactor could survive a blast and no meltdown is expected in the event of an explosion.

The power station's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. notified the government earlier in the day that the No. 3 reactor lost its cooling functions, and has begun releasing radioactive steam from the troubled reactor, while easing pressure inside the reactor's container, and injecting water into it as an effort to reduce pressure and temperature to save the reactor from a possible meltdown.

On Saturday, an explosion at the No.1 reactor of the same Fukushima plant blew away the roof and the upper walls of the building housing its metal container, prompting authorities to expand the evacuation area to a 20-km radius from 10 km for residents nearby the plant.

Fukushima Prefectural government said Sunday it has confirmed that 19 people at a nearby hospital were found to have been exposed to radiation from the nuclear power plant, in addition to three cases of exposure recorded Saturday.

The 19 will need to undergo decontamination to remove the radioactivity, the local government said. -- NNN-KUNA

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