ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press

MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press

SOMA, Japan — A third explosion in four days rocked the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in northeast Japan early Tuesday, the country's nuclear safety agency said.

The blast at Dai-ichi Unit 2 followed two hydrogen explosions at the plant — the latest on Monday — as authorities struggle to prevent the catastrophic release of radiation in the area devastated by a tsunami.

Japan crisis: third explosion raises spectre of nuclear nightmare

New explosion at Fukushima plant, as engineers fought to prevent a meltdown in the second worst nuclear accident in history.

 

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Fukushima reactor one, bottom left, was the first to explode on Saturday and reactor three, top right, exploded yesterday  Photo: AP

 

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Photo: REUTERS

 

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A man is tested for radiation at a decontamination centre for families who were in the possible contamination zone around one of the nuclear plants that leaked following the earthquake and tsunami in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan Photo: ADAM DEAN

 

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A protestor holds a placard reading "Switch-off nuclear power" during an anti-nuclear demonstration in front of the chancellery in Berlin on Monday. Fears of a major nuclear disaster in Japan after the earthquake put German Chancellor Angela Merkel under pressure. Photo: Getty