Disaster in Japan: March 17 Live Blog

More live updates from Al-Jazeera, and I've noticed for the past few hours, its extremely quiet in the media with regards to Japan's nuclear crisis. It's eerie. Hmmm.

" (All times are local in Japan GMT+9)

8:58pm

Power blackouts can be avoided in the Tokyo area if demand stays at the current level, the trade ministry says.

Tokyo Electric Power Co has announced rolling blackouts after its power generation was cut due to damage from an earthquake and tsunami to its Fukushima Daiichi power plant, where it is struggling to prevent reactor meltdowns.

The nation's nuclear safety agency said a new electricity cable was being laid to crippled plant to help restart pumps to cool the overheating reactors.

8:14pm

The rescue effort in Japan continues despite bad weather in northeast of the country. Below a recent photo of a rescue worker standing on top of a burned vehicle looking for more bodies hidden amongst the rubble of in the town of Kesennuma, in Miyagi province. (go to the source for the pictures)

7:48pm

Emergency crews temporarily withdrew a water cannon from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex because of high radiation levels, broadcaster NHK says. The water cannon had been called in to spray the Fukushima Daiichi complex's number 3 reactor, which contains plutonium fuel and has been the top priority for authorities.

6:44pm

Israel’s main newspaper Yediot Ahronot highlights a different concern following Japan's disaster: Israel fears sushi shortage after quake (go to source for the link)

6:28pm

South Korean officials detected unusually high levels of radiation on three passengers arriving from Japan on the first day of such checks at the country's main Incheon airport, news reports say.

A Japanese man in his 50s who is believed to have lived in the Fukushima prefecture had a reading exceeding 1 microsieverts from his hat and coat, which is several times the normal reading, South Korea's Yonhap news agency says.

The level poses no public health risk and officials will release the three passengers, according to YTN television. South Korea's nuclear safety agency has said it considered 300 nanosieverts per hour as the ceiling of normal level of radiation in atmosphere. One microsievert translates to 1,000 nanosieverts. The checks at the airport were voluntary, a Reuters photographer at the airport says."