Fukushima loses cooling power

No electricity to pumps that feed ponds where spent nuclear fuel rods must be kept underwater at a safe temperature - Four fuel storage pools at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant have been without fresh cooling water for more than 15 hours due to a power outage. The plant's operator has said it is trying to repair or replace a broken switchboard that might be the problem.

The 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed the plant's power and cooling systems, causing three reactor cores to melt and fuel storage pools to overheat. The plant has since been using makeshift systems.

Plant operator Tepco said pool temperatures remained within safe levels and the pools would remain safe for at least four days without fresh cooling water.

Tepco was preparing a backup system in case the repairs didn't work, said Masayuki Ono, a company official. "If worse comes to worst we have a backup water injection system."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/19/fukushima-loses-cooling-power