chemical complex in a massive fire at Mitsui after explosion at 2:15 am

[Kaigen]

Yesterday night I witnessed a huge explosion which shaken my room in the 5 floor in the weekly hotel in Iwakuni prefecture. It was at 2:15 am. this explosion was only 3,5 Km from my hotel.
I was scared and jumped of the bed to see the coming thunderstorm but there was no rain no clouds. Friend called me from upper room to ask if I knew what was that. I realized that it was some kind of explosion, but I thought about a military Jet falling down, since there is Air Force Base in Iwakuni.

After a while I noticed many ambulances an fire trucks heading toward this area Today morning I noticed in the news and found it on you tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQh8nyf3b-0&feature=g-hist&context=G226bef6AHT5OQRAACAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA9EKVrJY2o&feature=g-hist&context=G2e7ef72AHT5OXuwAFAA

this video show the explosion

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20120422/k10014623351000.html

After research on internet friend who is living in room above gave me the link to a blog of Alexander Higgins

_http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/04/21/petrochemical-complex-nuclear-fuel-fire-explosion-125121/

A chemical complex containing nuclear fuel is engulfed in a massive fire at Mitsui chemicals after a lightning strike caused an explosion.

The Fukushima Diary alerts us an alarming story about a lightning strike that caused an explosion and a massive fire at a chemical complex used to store nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.

The Iwakuni plant is still on fire according to the report and is reported to have 3379 55 gallon drums containing nuclear radioactive waste as well as Uranium rods used for nuclear fuel at the site.

Several people are reported to be injured following the explosion which occurred at 2:20 local time at Iwakuni Otake Petrochemical Complex of Mitsui chemicals.

So far there is no word from officials on the status of the nuclear fuel or radioactive waste stored at the plant.

Storing nuclear fuel and radioactive waste at an plant chemical plant that processes highly combustible oil products is a really dumb idea so you get what we have there today.

hes source is: Fukushima Diary

_http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/04/chemical-complex-is-on-fire-with-nuclear-fuel-in-yamaguchi/

The complex is still on fire, and 3379 units of radioactive waste (200L in each unit) and Uranium for nuclear fuel are preserved in the site.

I don't know what to think about, but my friend ask me to go back to Kyushu. :/
somehow scared if you are so closed to it.

 

[Cosmos]

I guess I would leave the place as fast as possible.

The Fukushima Diary alerts us an alarming story about a lightning strike that caused an explosion and a massive fire at a chemical complex used to store nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.

what kind of lightning ? are there other sources that tell about the lightning before the explosion?
the video of the explosion doesn't seem to show the beginning and the time before the explosion, when you look closely you'll see that the explosion has already started in the video.

why Japan again ???
from what I've seen Japan was such a nice place but now the whole country is radioactive so sad ........

 

[Kaigen]

I hope it will be okay. I must work here till end of may.

_http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/04/depleted-uranium-is-stocked-in-the-site-on-fire/

About the factory explosion of Iwakuni, @hanayuu and other people are concerned about the possible depleted uranium, so I called the prefectural government to confirm. They said, depleted uranium is stocked in the site, but it’s not affected by the accident.

<End>

 

[Cosmos]

they report that the cause was a lightning strike but you said that there was "no rain no clouds" at the time of explosion ?
now I would like to know how a lightning can occur without clouds ?
is there data that can tell us how the weather was above the area at the time of the explosion ?

PS: what do they mean with lightning? a electrical short wich caused lighnting ? or do they really mean that lightning from a cloud has caused this? aren't buildings like this supposed to have lightning conductors ?
maybe it was a comet or meteor ?

 

[Kaigen]

I found some data on the Weather site.

http://tenki.jp/past/detail/pref-38.html?year=2012&month=4&day=22&selected_image=rader

I attached the pictures.

There were clouds but probably very high so I couldn't see them.
Around 2:00 am was no rain as you can see on the second picture.

Edit. Added the source

 

[Aya]

In Japanese new papers, people say that they heard the sound of explosion for 5 secound, just like lightning strikes. But I cannot find any report saying that it was actually caused by lightenings. Police are still investigating the accident and it looks like nobody yet really sure about how it happened.

Kaigen, I hope everything is well with you. It is a relief to hear that nuclear waste wasn't affected by the explosions. Again and again, it is such a shame keeping nuclear fuel/wastes where people live in all over the country.

 

[Kaigen]

Thank you Aya everything is okay. Yes you are right.