Fires, explosions and radiation leaks have repeatedly forced Japanese rescue workers at the nuclear power plant to suspend work, including on Sunday when radiation levels spiked to 100,000 times above normal in water inside reactor No. 2 at the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) plant. A partial meltdown of fuel rods inside the reactor vessel was responsible for the high levels of radiation at reactor No. 2, but the radiation had mainly been contained in the reactor building. Following the spike in radiation over the weekend, the reactor cores appeared to be cooling down. The plan now is to dry out the plant, get power restored and start cooling it down.]

A satellite image of the Fukushima 3 and 4 nuclear power plant units, taken March 18, 2011, showing the damaged reactor buildings. Photo: Digitalglobe.
Another image of Fukushima #2 reactor, taken by Eros B on March 26,, showing a close-up view of the damaged site. Photo: Imagesat
This image of the Japan's Fukushima nuclear power station was taken on March 26 by the Israeli Eros B satellite, after all personnel were evacuated from the area as radiation levels spiked 10,000 times higher than the average at the site, as the #2 reactor was undergoing partial meltdown. Later it was announced that the high reading was taken by error. Photo: Imagesat

 

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