<p>The three were randomly chosen for examination out of some 90 bedridden patients moved from a hospital in the town of Futaba-machi, public broadcaster NHK reported.<br /><br />The patients had waited for rescuers on a school ground, spending a long time outside and then being moved by helicopter at the time when an explosion hit the ageing Fukushima No. 1 plant, NHK said, citing the Fukushima local government.<br /><br />The explosion sent plumes of smoke spewing from the nuclear power plant today, raising fears of a possible meltdown a day after a massive quake struck the facility's cooling system.<br /><br />The government declared an atomic emergency and said tens of thousands of people living within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the plant should leave.<br /><br />The operator of the nuclear plant said the container surrounding the reactor was not damaged despite the explosion.</p>
<p>The three were randomly chosen for examination out of some 90 bedridden patients moved from a hospital in the town of Futaba-machi, public broadcaster NHK reported.<br /><br />The patients had waited for rescuers on a school ground, spending a long time outside and then being moved by helicopter at the time when an explosion hit the ageing Fukushima No. 1 plant, NHK said, citing the Fukushima local government.<br /><br />The explosion sent plumes of smoke spewing from the nuclear power plant today, raising fears of a possible meltdown a day after a massive quake struck the facility's cooling system.<br /><br />The government declared an atomic emergency and said tens of thousands of people living within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the plant should leave.<br /><br />The operator of the nuclear plant said the container surrounding the reactor was not damaged despite the explosion.</p>