Massive earthquake and tsunamis hit Japan

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Thanks for finding out the details

I reckon the Government's pulling them out. I think the rescuers would have stayed. Could be wrong though

Just found this on DfID's website

The UK Government's Search and Rescue team in Northern Japan have completed their search of Kamaishi town today.

Despite an extensive search of residential and industrial properties, no survivors have been found.

Heavy snow and falling temperatures six days after the start of the disaster mean there is now is an extremely low chance of finding survivors.

Therefore following a discussion with the Japanese disaster authorities, the UK team and their US counterparts have agreed not to extend their rescue operations and will begin to withdraw from Japan.

The team remain fit and well and continue to monitor radiation levels closely. No abnormal radiation has been detected in the area

 

[frogwoman]

Was on Sky. Switched over to see if it was on BBC but not seen anything yet. Said there was little chance of finding any survivors. I'm not sure whether it's the Governments pulling them out or what or the teams themselves withdrawing.

However, I don't believe the statement that they're pulling out as there's little chance of finding survivors as survivors have been found up to 2 weeks after being buried. Obviously they have the tsunami and the snow as well against them as well as being buried, but as far as one of the British workers was concerned earlier in the week, even if they found one survivor, going over there would have been worth it.

yeah, surprised at that as survivors have been found for weeks after earthquakes have struck.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

yeah, surprised at that as survivors have been found for weeks after earthquakes have struck.

Even with the cold, there's still a chance of surviving if the water hadn't passed over you and you're stuck in a dry air pocket somewhere with lots of clothing. Small chance, but it's still a chance

 

[frogwoman]

why are they withdrawing the teams then? that doesn't sound good

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

See my post at 1140

That's what they're saying, but I'm not convinced

 

[frogwoman]

Fuck

 

[Kizmet]

Sounds like conditions are becoming difficult for the rescuers. Not sure what they mean by 'specialist skills'... maybe they mean specific teams?

 

[TruXta]

Sounds like conditions are becoming difficult for the rescuers. Not sure what they mean by 'specialist skills'... maybe they mean specific teams?

Urban search and rescue is pretty specialised, particularly regarding knowledge of the behaviour of hazardous structures, how to remove stuff to get to victims etc. Generally about 95% of survivors are rescued by other victims of disasters within 24 hours of the event.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Government is telling people to leave Tokyo and to not fly there. There has been a change in the wind. Bah.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Sounds like conditions are becoming difficult for the rescuers. Not sure what they mean by 'specialist skills'... maybe they mean specific teams?

Urban search and rescue is pretty specialised, particularly regarding knowledge of the behaviour of hazardous structures, how to remove stuff to get to victims etc. Generally about 95% of survivors are rescued by other victims of disasters within 24 hours of the event.

and the UK team is classed as one of only 17 "heavy" teams in the world

 

[elbows]

Argh, video of the tsunami shot from inside a car that is then struck by a wave!

 

[frogwoman]

fucking hell, what happeend to him in the end?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I take it the driver survived, or did they just find the camera?

 

[elbows]

I've no idea since I've not seen any translation, my presumption is that they got out with camera intact. Its possible the tsunami wave in that location did not fully penetrate the sea wall, and what we saw was as bad as it got for that stretch of road.

 

[Barking_Mad]

A few new photos in this set from the Guardian

The ship left atop that solitary building still gets me...

 

[Barking_Mad]

Boston Globe

 

[magneze]

Argh, video of the tsunami shot from inside a car that is then struck by a wave!

OMFG That is terrifying.

 

[frogwoman]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/mar/17/rescue-japanese-family-tsunami-sendai-video

 

[frogwoman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12778557

 

[elbows]

G7 has agreed to intervene to help Japan control its currency exchange rate.

They want to try spraying water again on Friday afternoon (their time). They are also talking of getting the power back on at units 3 and 4 on Sunday.

The stuff I was complaining about earlier continues:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79103.html

Radiation readings around the troubled reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant fell slightly after the Self-Defense Forces discharged water in an attempt to cool an apparently overheating spent fuel pool, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Friday.

The radiation reading came to 279.4 microsievert per hour at the point roughly 1 kilometer west of the No. 2 reactor at 5 a.m. Friday, compared with 292.2 microsievert per hour at 8:40 p.m. Thursday, shortly after the SDF discharged water from fire trucks, according to the agency.

Dont get me wrong, the radiation level falling is good news, but not as good, or related to the water spraying attempts, as the Japanese media are now trying to suggest. Need data from other points to tell the story properly, eg the rates very close to the affected reactors.

 

[Barking_Mad]

From the same article above

my emphesis

With some devastated stretches of coastline still untouched by recovery teams, the official toll of dead and missing in last Friday's magnitude 9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami topped 15,000, as hundreds of thousands of stranded survivors coped with freezing temperatures and shortages of fuel, food and other basic necessities.

Post-quake deaths, particularly among the frail, ill and elderly, were on the rise in sometimes primitive shelters. As of early Friday, the official death toll stood at 5,692, according to the National Police Agency, and 9,522 were unaccounted for and feared dead.

 

[Barking_Mad]

removed.

 

[Crispy]

Should have split the reactor news off into its own thread really :-/

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Should have split the reactor news off into its own thread really :-/

Can you not still do that? I think it should be done. Editor started a post the other day about the snow and someone said there was already a Japanese earthquake thread, but this thread has been taken over by nuclear reactor talk rather than everything else that's happening there (eg. the human suffering, relief and rescue efforts etc.)

 

[elbows]

Should have split the reactor news off into its own thread really :-/

Its not too late. Even if you only split off the last days nuclear posts into their own thread, at least it would leave the main thread free for other issues and I can be a nuclear geek without feeling like I am getting in the way of broader news.

 

[TruXta]

Yes please, can there be another thread for the reactor news and chat?

 

[Crispy]

Ok, please bear with me - I'll have to select a lot of posts!

Thread locked until I'm done, or I'll just be chasing my tail.

 

[Crispy]

Ok, I've moved the last 6 pages worth of nuclear posts to here: http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/th...ear-disaster?p=11605747&posted=1#post11605747

Continue using this thread to discuss the earthquake/tsunami and aftermath in general.

 

[TruXta]

Swell!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Ok, I've moved the last 6 pages worth of nuclear posts to here: http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/th...ear-disaster?p=11605747&posted=1#post11605747

Continue using this thread to discuss the earthquake/tsunami and aftermath in general.

Excellent work. Thanks Crispy