Nuke reactor storage pool may be boiling: Japan

Hidehiko Nishiyama of the economy ministry that oversees nuclear safety told reporters on Tuesday that "we cannot deny the possibility of water boiling" in the pool.

March 15, 2011 03:56 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 02:44 am IST - TOKYO

This October 2008 photo shows the Fukushima No. 1 power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. at Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan. Radiation leaked from the crippled nuclear plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan after a third reactor was rocked by an explosion on Tuesday, and a fourth caught fire in a dramatic escalation of the four-day-old catastrophe. Photo: AP.

This October 2008 photo shows the Fukushima No. 1 power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. at Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan. Radiation leaked from the crippled nuclear plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan after a third reactor was rocked by an explosion on Tuesday, and a fourth caught fire in a dramatic escalation of the four-day-old catastrophe. Photo: AP.

A Japanese nuclear safety official says the water inside the waste fuel storage pool for a damaged reactor at an atomic power plant may be boiling.

Hidehiko Nishiyama of the economy ministry that oversees nuclear safety told reporters on Tuesday that “we cannot deny the possibility of water boiling” in the pool.

Mr. Nishiyama sought to avoid commenting on the potential risks from the rising temperatures caused by a failure of systems required to keep the spent fuel rods cool. He said the plant’s operator is considering what to do about the problem.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.