Kashiwazaki, Japan
An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale rattled a nuclear power plant in northern Japan this week, causing leakage of radioactive water. Tokyo Electric Power officials said the earthquake caused fires and burst pipes in 50 separate areas, but they insisted the leakage posed no safety risk. Others are skeptical. Earthquake engineer Masanori Hamada said the plant should have been able to withstand such a quake undamaged. “It’s unthinkable that water leaks and fire could be triggered so easily,” Hamada said, calling for the company to provide “a full explanation to the public.” The earthquake caused widespread property damage, and left nine dead and more than 900 wounded.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Youth Demand promises a 'revolution'The Explainer New protest group picks up Just Stop Oil's mantle and vows to 'build a movement that is going to take control of the British state'
-
Video games to play this summer, from Mario Kart World to Shinobi: Art of VengeanceThe Week Recommends Nintendo launches the Switch 2 with an exclusive 'Mario Kart' entry, and Sega revisits an arcade classic
-
Sudoku medium: June 12, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
