(Reuters) - Japan scrambled to avert a nuclear meltdown at a stricken nuclear plant on Monday after a hydrogen explosion at one reactor and exposure of fuel rods at another, just days after a devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 10,000 people.
Roads and rail, power and ports have been crippled across much of Japan's northeast and estimates of the cost of the multiple disasters have leapt to as much as $170 billion. Analysts said the economy could even tip back into recession.
Japanese stocks closed down more than 7.5 percent, wiping $287 billion off market capitalization in the biggest fall since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008.
Continue reading at Reuters...
--
Here's more:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3465370/Meltdown-fears-after-new-nuke-blast.html
--
Another view of the same explosion.