Emergency Response Bulletin No. 4
March 15, 2011
4:30 P.M.

■ At 5:30 am Manila Time the IAEA reported an explosion at Unit 2 of the Daiichi Reactor that damaged the suppression chamber of the primary containment vessel. The event resulted in the momentary increase of radiation level measured at 8 milliesievert per hour.

■ At 12:50 pm Manila Time, the IAEA reported the incidence of an earlier fire that occurred at the building where the spent fuel storage pond of Unit 4 of the Daiichii nuclear power plant is located. According to the Embassy of Japan the same fire was put out before 10:00am, today. The event resulted in the release of radiation at a dose rate of at 400 millisievert per hour.

■ As the events remain contained on site, persons who have been evacuated from the 30 km zone are considered safe.

■ Further reports received by the DOST-PNRI indicate that all reactor vessels of Units 1, 2 and 3 remain intact.

■ As per information from TEPCO, the cooling problems of Units 1, 2, and 3 are under control.

■ Containments for Unit 1 and 3 are also intact. And while the suppression chamber of Unit 2 is damaged, the rest of its containment unit remains intact.

■ The DOST –PNRI emphasizes that there remains no immediate threat to the Philippines.

■ For more queries, please call DOST-PNRI Emergency Response Center at 929-4719 or 920-8738 or log on to http://www.pnri.dost.gov.ph/, http://www.dost.gov.ph/, or http://www.science.ph/.

Sec.Mario Montejo, in a presscon at DOST-PNRI March 15, emphasizes no immediate radiation threat to the Philippines. Beside him is PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa.

The media listen intently to Sec. Montejo and Dir. dela Rosa.