March 19, 2011

Comparing estimated causes of death from the Japan earthquake and tsunami

Causes of Death From Japanese Catastophe (as of what is known and estimated today)
1) Earthquake motion from initial Magnitude 9 Quake= 2,000 (estimated of total 10,000)
2) Earthquake aftershocks in one week duration= 50 deaths (from debris movement)
3) Tsunami wave drowning and impact= 8,000 (of estimated 10,000 deaths)
4) Nuclear Power Plant Failures = 1 death from crane failure, 0 reported radiation deaths
5) Earthquake, Tsunami cleanup Mortality= estimated 20 deaths from material motions during rescue and cleanup.

More than 7,500 dead, 11,700 missing in the officially reported counts

The unprecedented multiple crisis will cost the world's third largest economy nearly $200 billion in Japan's biggest reconstruction push since post-World War II.

Engineers attached a power cable to the No.1 and No. 2 reactors, hoping to restore electricity later in the day. They also hope to reach No. 3 and 4 soon to test turning the pumps on.

If successful, that could be a turning point in a crisis already rated as bad as America's Three Mile Island accident in 1979. If not, drastic measures may be required such as burying the plant in sand and concrete as happened at Chernobyl after the world's worst nuclear reactor disaster in 1986.

Cooling systems have been restored at the least critical of the six reactors, No. 5 and 6, using diesel generators.

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