Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sat. morning | Kyodo News

Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sat. morning | Kyodo News: "Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sat. morning

TOKYO, March 19, Kyodo

The following is the known status as of Saturday morning of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11.

Fukushima Daiichi plant

-- Reactor No. 1 (Operation suspended after quake)

Partial melting of core, cooling failure, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by hydrogen explosion, roof blown off, seawater being pumped in.

-- Reactor No. 2 (Operation suspended after quake)

Damage to reactor containment structure feared, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by blast at adjacent reactor No. 3, blast sound heard near suppression chamber of containment vessel.

-- Reactor No. 3 (Operation suspended after quake)

Partial melting of core feared, cooling failure, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing containment of reactor badly damaged by hydrogen explosion, seawater dumped over spent-fuel storage pool by helicopter Thursday, water sprayed at it from ground three days in a row through Saturday.

-- Reactor No. 4 (Under maintenance when quake struck)

Renewed nuclear chain reaction feared at spent-fuel storage pool, fire at building housing containment of reactor Tuesday and Wednesday, only frame remains of reactor building roof, temperature in the pool reached 84 C on Monday.

-- Reactor No. 5 (Under maintenance when quake struck)

Cooling resumed Saturday in spent-fuel storage pools.

-- Reactor No. 6 (Under maintenance when quake struck)

Emergency power generator restored Saturday, some fuel rods left in reactor cores.

Fukushima Daini plant

-- Reactors No. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Operation suspended after quake)

Cold shutdown, not emergency status anymore.

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