The Complete Japan Crisis Timeline – Live Updates
LatestHere’s the timeline to the Japan’s earthquake crisis—constantly updated with all news and features ordered chronologically, as well as the latest videos and images. [Last update: 5:07pm EST Thursday, May 12, 2011]
Reactors | TEPCO admits that two additional reactors, units 2 and 3, have likely melted down. Officials do not believe that radioactive material in either unit escaped their containment vessels.
Reactors | TEPCO admits for the first time that Fukushima experienced a full meltdown.
Rebuilding | Humans return to the Fukushima Reactor for the first time since the quake disaster.
Contamination | TEPCO announces that the amount of radiation released at Fukushima may surpass that of the Chernobyl disaster.
Contamination | The radiation leak at the damaged Fukushima power plant has been upgraded from 5 to 7 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale
Reactors | The badly-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been upgraded from 5 to 7 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. The only other nuclear crisis to reach the same level is Chernobyl.
Contamination | The Japanese government is widening the mandatory evacuation zone beyond the current 18 mile radius.
Earthquake | Another strong, 7.1 aftershock has hit Japan.
Earthquake | A second quake with a magnitude of 7.4 has struck Japan, 78 miles north of the devastated Fukushima plant.
Reactors | TEPCO says their nitrogen-pumping efforts have been completed successfully
Reactors | Workers have begun pumping inert nitrogen into the Fukushima reactors to prevent a another hydrogen gas blowout.
Contamination | TEPCO has plugged the radioactive water leak at the Fukushima plant using a 1,500-chemical concoction.
Contamination | Fukushima’s radioactive water to be pumped into “Mega-Float”
Death toll | Japan can’t recover 1,000 irradiated corpses around Fukushima
Death toll | The number of those either dead or missing now at 27,000
Contamination | Japanese government widens “encouraged” evacuation zone around Fukushima plant to 19 miles
Contamination | Two Fukushima workers were hospitalized Thursday 24th May for high-level radiation and injuries to their legs.
Contamination | Japanese parents told not to let infants drink tap water. Radioactive iodine levels are above legal limit for babies.
Reactors | All Fukushima reactors now connected to power. Electricity has not been reestablished in crucial systems, however.
Contamination | Radioactivity found in seawater around Fukushima. Officials are worried that, although not dangerous for humans, it may have an effect on the fishing industry.
Reactors | Fukushima emergency workers have been evacuated temporarily, as smoke rises from reactors 2 and 3.
Death toll | Japanese police has reported 21,911 dead or missing as of noon, March 21. 350,000 people are living in refugee camps.
Economy | World Bank estimates rebuilding cost could be as high as 4% of Japan’s GDP, as much as $230 billion, but impact will be “short-lived.”
14:46-14:51 Japan Standard Time (GMT+9)
• A magnitude 9.0 earthquake strikes near the northeast coast of Japan at a depth of 15.2 miles. The epicenter is 231 miles from Tokyo. It’s the fifth largest quake ever recorded and the largest ever to hit Japan.
• Tsunami alert through the Pacific.
• Fukushima Daiichi reactors start emergency shut down and cooling operations.
15:12 JST
• 6.8 m (22 ft) Tsunami hits the first Japanese city of Iwate Kamaishi-oki.
15:15 JST
• 7.4 magnitude aftershock hits Japan.
• Tsunami starts reaching other Japanese towns: Ofunato and following with Ishinomaki-shi Ayukawa, Kamaishi, Miyako, Erimo-cho Shoya, Soma. Here’s a terrifying video recorded at street level in Kesennuma, showing the water taking cars, ships and entire buildings away.
16:45 JST
• Diesel generators supporting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant emergency refrigeration systems shut down after tsunami hits.
19:49 JST
• NHK releases video of a giant whirlpool off the Japanese coast.
20:15 JST
• Japanese government declares first emergency at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
21:34 JST
• Tokyo Electric Power Company confirms that reactor water levels are falling following the failure of the diesel generators.
• TEPCO tries to avert fuel rod exposure by restoring power to its emergency power system and pumping water inside the reactors.
• Four nuclear plants near the earthquake’s epicenter are shut down.