Pressure Up in Quake-hit Japanese Fukushima Nuclear Plant

World | March 21, 2011, Monday // 08:43|  views

Fukushima is one of the oldest operating nuclear plants in Japan, turning 40 years old on March 26. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The pressure in reactor three of the Japanese Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is going up and experts are debating releasing it by opening the valves.

The news was reported Monday by the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS.

Opening the valves, however, would lead to increased radiation. Reactor three sustained the worst damage from the devastating 9 point on the Richter scale earthquake and 10-meter tsunami that hit Japan on March 11.

Meanwhile, power was restored to the least damaged reactors five and six and they are stable. Before that the two reactors were powered by emergency diesel generators.

Engineers are also fighting to cool the overheating reactor two and restart its temperature and pressure control functions along with the system of air filtration which will stop radioactive materials from reaching the control room and will improve the work environment inside.

Experts further say the water that soaked in the dirt during attempts to cool the reactors in not that much to make it radioactive.

Thousands of tons of water were poured on reactors three and four during the cooling effort.

The dead toll from the disaster has reached 8 649 confirmed casualties with another 13 263 missing and 2 644 injured.

This is the worst earthquake to hit Japan since the one in 1923 where 142 000 died.

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Tags: Earthquake, Japan, NPP, Nuclear Power Plant, Fukoshima, meltdown, explosion, reactor, radiation, NISA, Tokyo Electric, tsunami, pressure

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