Nuclear disaster threat looms over Japan

Combined news services

As the tally of dead and missing from Japan's earthquake and tsunami rose Sunday, the country dealt with a nightmarish sequel: the threat of nuclear disaster from damaged power plants.

The most powerful earthquake in Japan's recorded history -- measured at 8.9 with at least 100 aftershocks -- and the ensuing tsunami that swept coastlines with waves more than 20 feet high crippled the country's transportation, communication systems and power grid.

At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, 170 miles northeast of Tokyo, Japan's top government spokesman said a partial meltdown was likely under way at a second reactor.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Monday that radiation at the nuclear power plant briefly rose above legal limits, but it has since declined significantly.

Three reactors at the plant had their cooling systems malfunction because of a power outage after the quake and tsunami.

Officials had pumped seawater into the reactors to avoid a disaster and moved 170,000 people from the area.

To try to release pressure from the overheating reactor, authorities released steam that probably contained small amounts of radiation, the government said.

Authorities were planning to distribute iodine, which helps protect against thyroid cancer.

Elsewhere, tens of thousands found themselves stranded because of disrupted train service, canceled flights and damaged roads. They had to join many others who lost their homes and sought refuge at shelters. Thousands roamed the streets of Tokyo or decided to walk home to the suburbs.

The official count of the dead stood at 763 Monday, but government officials had said the figure could surpass 1,000.

The government also said that more than 600 people were missing and more than 1,400 were injured.

In the coastal town of Minamisanriku, prefecture officials said there had been no contact with about 10,000 people, the Kyodo News agency reported.

More than 1 million households and some 4 million buildings lost power.

"The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.

Japanese government officials acknowledged that they had much more to do to assess the damage and account for all the dead, injured and missing.

Police found 200 to 300 bodies on beaches near Sendai, one of the hardest-hit areas, but were still assessing the devastation in the northeastern port of 1 million people.

"Our estimates based on reported cases alone suggest that more than 1,000 people have lost their lives in the disaster," Edano said. "Unfortunately, the actual damage could far exceed that number considering the difficulty assessing the full extent of damage."

The cost of the disaster was also expected to be staggering.

Financial analysts said the quake may have caused up to $15 billion in insured losses alone, which could make it the costliest earthquake in insurance industry history.

Japan, a technologically advanced country that was more prepared than most for a major earthquake, was in full emergency mode as Sunday dawned on its battered cities. Officials, experts and rescue personnel dealt with numerous emergencies -- crises at nuclear plants aside, they were fighting blazes, rescuing victims and caring for hundreds of thousands in temporary shelters.

Prime Minister Kan said 50,000 troops had joined the rescue and recovery efforts, helped by boats and helicopters.

Dozens of countries offered to pitch in.

President Barack Obama pledged U.S. assistance for what he termed a "catastrophic" disaster.