TEPCO: Fuel rods partially exposed above water (xpost)

[bananas]

From LBN Mon May-16-11:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4852528

TEPCO: Fuel rods partially exposed above water
Source: NHK

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it believes the melted fuel rods in the No. 1 reactor are partially exposed above the water's surface.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the reactor's fuel rods have melted and fallen to the bottom. It says holes were created and the containment vessel was also damaged. A large amount of highly radioactive water is believed to be leaking into the reactor building.

TEPCO says that as of 11 AM on Sunday, the temperature of the reactor's upper section was 110.4 degrees Celsius, and the lower part was 88.6 degrees.

It says it believes that the exposed fuel is generating hot vapor.

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Read more: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_17.html

Via http://enenews.com/alert-melted-fuel-in-no-1-reactor-not-covered-with-water