Japanese officials were trying frantically to thwart partial meltdowns presumed under way Sunday at two earthquake-stricken nuclear reactors in Japan.
Fuel rods were briefly exposed and radiation levels briefly rose above the legal limit at the second reactor Sunday, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
A partial meltdown in the unit is "highly possible," he told reporters. "Because it's inside the reactor, we cannot directly check it but we are taking measures on the assumption of the possible partial meltdown."
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger Monday appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Operators have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Dai-ichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after the quake knocked out power and the tsunami swamped backup generators.
At 11:01 a.m. Monday, Japan time, another building at the Fukushima nuclear power plant housing the No. 3 exploded. According to Tokyo Electric, some workers were injured, with a number of reports putting the number of casualties at 11.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the possibility of a significant radiation leak after the second blast is small. The building surrounding the vessel containing the No. 1 reactor exploded on March 12.
In a video of the No. 3 explosion, the blast appears much bigger than the No. 1 blast, featuring a bright flash followed by a towering column of smoke and concrete that then tumbles in chunks out of the sky.
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