FTSE drops 3% amid fresh Japan radiation fears

Updated 9:45am: The FTSE suffered triple-digit losses in Tuesday trade after a third explosion rocked Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, raising fresh radiation fears and sparking a 1,000-point plunge on the country's Nikkei index.

London's leading index was sitting 165 points, or 2.86%, lower at 5,610, adding to yesterday's 0.9% loss. It followed a near-11% decline on Japan's Nikkei 225 on Tuesday. The index shed more than 1,000 points to 8,605.15 points, on top of yesterday's 6.2% loss. The broader Topix index fell 9.5%. At one point, Nikkei was trading 14% lower, registering its biggest two-day drop in 40 years. There was a third blast at a nuclear plant in Japan, letting off a radiaoactive cloud that officials confirmed could pose a health risk to the population. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi c...