Japan’s nuclear regulators raised the severity level of the crisis today to rank it equal with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster — the worst in history. Regulators said the rating was raised from 5 to 7 due to the amount of radiation released in the accident. Incidentally, this is the highest level on an international scale overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The new ranking signifies a “major accident” with “wider consequences” than the previous level, according to the IAEA. “We have upgraded the severity level to 7 as the impact of radiation leaks has been widespread from the air, vegetables, tap water and the ocean,” said Minoru Oogoda of Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. Any longterm effects the crisis might have on Japan and/or the rest of the world is still anyone’s guess.
