Japanese federal government raises Fukushima accident rating to highest level, acknowledging a "major accident"

Reuters reports that the Japanese federal government has officially raised the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe from a 5 to a 7 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), making it comparable to the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. However, the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe is not under control and is still unfolding. In addition, whereas Chernobyl involved a single reactor that exploded and burned, Fukushima involves three reactors in various stages of meltdown, two with damaged primary containments, and one high-level radioactive waste pool that has already caught fire and released large amounts of hazardous radioactivity directly into the environment -- with the potential for a number of other high-level radioactive waste pools to do the same. In addition, Fukushima is located in a much more densely populated area than Chernobyl. The Washington Post similarly reports on the Level 7 on the INES, including the warning that more than one country may be effected by Fukushima Daiichi's large-scale, hazardous radioactivity releases.