So on the one hand we can be impressed that only the oldest two reactors in Japan, sitting at the epicenter of the biggest natural disaster Japan has ever experienced has had this failure. Other newer reactors on the same site were successfully shut down and made safe. But the 1 & 2 reactors have it would seem failed completely. Right out past the limits of their safety system. (if the reactor vessel ruptured, and it seems like it has)
That makes cleanup that much harder, it makes the likely hood that the site of those reactors being re-used is zero. And it means that TEPCO is going to probably go bankrupt based on the costs.
What it doesn't mean is that the folks in Fukushima are in any more danger now then they were 5 months ago. It doesn't mean that the radiation will 'escape' and kill people, or even that anyone will die. It doesn't mean that the surrounding area is in danger of more contamination.
I was more interested in the way folks were measuring radioactive fallout on a much finer scale using 'home made' measurement devices. This crowd sourced contamination map can help track down where contaminants have been concentrated in the surrounding area and become a problem. That is, in my opinion, the more impactful problem to address. Decontaminate the area around the plants and let the engineers work on their plans for dismantling what is left of reactors 1 & 2.