Nuclear plant damage panicking Japan

SOMA, Japan (AP)

A nuclear power plant damaged by fire and explosions emitted a burst of radiation Tuesday, panicking an already edgy Japan and leaving the government struggling to contain a spiraling crisis caused by last week's earthquake and tsunami.

Radiation levels in areas around the nuclear plant, which rose early in the afternoon, appeared to subside by evening, officials said.

But the unease remained in a country trying to recover from the massive disasters that are believed to have killed more than 10,000 people and battered the world's third-largest economy.