-- In the worst accident in Japan's troubled history with nuclear power, an out-of-control chain reaction Thursday at a fuel plant 87 miles northwest of Tokyo spewed high levels of radiation into the air. Many People Exposed To Radiation
Officials said the reaction was set off when workers accidentally poured 35 pounds of uranium into a purification tank containing nitric acid, instead of the 5.2 pounds normally used.
This mistake reportedly caused a flash of blue light inside the plant, which is owned by the Sumitomo Metal Mining Company and operated by the JCO Company. Scientists said the flash may have been the result of a fast chain reaction.
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