Japanese crisis: power lines reconnected

Published on Tuesday 22 March 2011 17:43

Workers at the leaking Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant attached power lines to all six of the crippled complex's reactor units yesterday, a significant advance after days of difficulties.

With the power lines connected, officials hope to start up the overheated plant's crucial cooling system, which was knocked out during the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.

Late last night, Tokyo Electric said lights went on in the central control room of Unit 3, but that doesn't mean power had been restored to the cooling system. Officials will try to power up the water pumps to the unit at some point today.

Emergency teams also dumped 18 tons of seawater into a nearly boiling storage pool holding spent nuclear fuel, cooling it to 105F, Japan's nuclear safety agency said. Steam, possibly carrying radioactive elements, had been rising for two days from the reactor building and the move lessens the risk that more radiation will seep into the air.

The Fukushima complex has leaked radiation that has found its way into vegetables, milk, the water supply and even seawater. Government officials and health experts say the doses are low and not a threat to human health unless the tainted products are consumed in abnormally excessive quantities.