Nuclear Fuel Meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Confirmed

[nadinbrzezinski]

TOKYO, Japan, May 13, 2011 (ENS) - Tokyo Electric Power Company, operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, revealed Thursday that nuclear fuel at one of the reactors is in a state of "meltdown."

TEPCO officials said that most of the fuel rods in the Unit 1 reactor have melted and fallen to the bottom of the reactor. They said cooling water in this reactor has fallen to a level that would expose those fuel rods that are still intact.

Holes have been created by melted nuclear fuel in piping at the bottom of the reactor's pressure vessel, allowing tons of water the company has been spraying into the reactor to cool the fuel to escape.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2011/2011-05-13-01.html