Japan struggles to prevent n-meltdown, 20 people irradiated | Irish Sun

Japan struggles to prevent n-meltdown, 20 people irradiated

Irish Sun (IANS) Thursday 17th March, 2011

Japan scrambled to prevent a nuclear meltdown as military vehicles late Thursday started to pour water on the over-heating Fukushima plant that was severely damaged in last week's quake and tsunami. Twenty people were confirmed to have suffered from radiation exposure.

High levels of radiation were hindering efforts to cool a reactor in the stricken nuclear plant.

Five military firefighting vehicles began to douse the fuel storage pool at reactor 3 of Fukushima I power plant after police water cannons could not get close enough earlier in the day, DPA ported.

The move has been effective as steam was seen rising from the damaged building, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant's operator, said.

The dumping of 30 tonnes of sea water over the reactor by military helicopters early Thursday had failed to reduce the level of radiation.

Four giant helicopters dumped water on the nuclear power plant, where there have been explosions at three reactors while a blaze engulfed a fourth reactor.

Reactor No. 3 and 4 were targeted in a water dumping operation that began at 9.48 a.m. with helicopters flying over the stricken plant, which has now become the centre of a global concern.

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