Radiation fears mount again in Japan

Radiation fears mount again in Japan after plant workers injured

TOKYO (Reuters) - Radiation fears escalated in Japan on Friday after workers suffered burns as they tried to cool an earthquake-crippled nuclear plant, while the government sowed confusion over whether it was widening an evacuation zone

around the facility.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan, making his first public statement on the crisis in a week, said the situation at the Fukushima nuclear power complex north of Tokyo was not getting worse but described it as "nowhere near the point" of being resolved.

"We are making efforts to prevent it from getting worse, but I feel we cannot become complacent," he told reporters. "We must continue to be on our guard."

The comments reflected a spike of unease in Japan after several days of slow but steady progress in containing the nuclear crisis, which was triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago.

Over 10,000 people were killed and 17,500 are still missing in the disaster. But even those numbers have been eclipsed by the possibility of a catastrophic meltdown at Fukushima, just 250 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo.

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Tsunami and Earth quake of 8.9 magnitude striked Japan - Photos and videos

The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began almost 150 years ago smashed into the country's northeast coast today, triggering tsunamis up to 23-feet high that swept away boats, cars and homes and killed hundreds of people. Hours later, the waves hit Hawaii but did not cause major damage.

The 8.9-magnitude quake's epicenter was 231 miles northeast of Tokyo, the United States Geological Survey reported. But areas as far away as South America, Canada, Russia, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast were placed on tsunami alert as the ripples from the original quake spread out across the world.

Tsunami and Earth quake of 8.9 magnitude striked Japan - Photos and videos

Massive Tsunami and Earth quake of 8.9 magnitude striked Japan - Photos and videos

The large earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for countries all around the Pacific ocean. 

Japan feared a nuclear meltdown Saturday, a day after a massive earthquake and a killer tsunami left around 1,600 people dead with about 100 aftershocks traumatizing the country. 

More pics after this break