TOKYO (Reuters) - Following are main developments after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan and crippled a nuclear power station, raising the risk of uncontrolled radiation.
- Official death toll from earthquake and tsunami 8,133 with 12,272 missing. Police say more than 15,000 feared dead in Miyagi prefecture alone.
* Engineers have attached a power cable to the Nos. 1, 5 and 6 reactors, and hope to restore electricity on Sunday prior to an attempt to switch the pumps on. Nuclear power reactor has restored electricity at No. 2 reactor of the stricken plant.
- IAEA says unclear whether water pumps will work.
- Japan government spokesman says some stabilisation at the most critical No.3 reactor. Engineers meanwhile are using diesel generators for less critical reactors No. 5 and No.6 reactors.
- Temperature in spent fuel pools at reactors No. 5 and 6 returning to normal.
- Tests detect radiation above the national safety level in spinach and milk produced near the Fukushima plant. A sample of tap water from Tokyo shows a tiny level of radioactive.
- Japan to decide by Monday on whether to restrict consumption and shipments of food products from the area in the vicinity of the quake-hit nuclear complex.
- IAEA says Japan considering whether to halt sale of food products from Fukushima prefecture and radioactive iodine in food can pose short-term risk to human health.
- If engineers are unable to cool the reactor, the last option would be entombing the plant with concrete and sand to prevent a catastrophic radiation leak, the method used at Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986.
* Light southeasterly winds, rain forecast around plant.
- Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gives some international recognition to Japan's progress during a trip to reassure residents of eastern regions that there is no immediate danger from the nuclear accident.
- Japanese PM Kan tried, and failed, to form a crisis cabinet following the earthquake and tsunami. The opposition, including the Liberal Democratic Party, told Kan it rejected his idea of increasing the number of cabinet ministers to create new posts to handle reconstruction policy.
(Tokyo bureau; Compiled by World Desk Asia)
