2nd explosion at stricken Japan nuclear plant
The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked Japan's stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Monday, sending a massive column of smoke into the air and wounding 11 workers. Hours later, the US said it had shifted its offshore forces away from the plant after detecting low-level radioactive contamination.
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore when it detected the radiation, which US officials said was about the same as one month's normal exposure to natural background radiation. It was not clear if the radiation had leaked during the Monday explosion. That blast was felt 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, but the plant's operator said radiation levels at the reactor were still within legal limits. (AP)
