JAPAN: High temperature and radiation level found in cripped reactor

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says the water temperature in the spent fuel storage pool at the No. 4 reactor in the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has risen to about 90 degrees Celsius. It fears the spent fuel rods may be damaged.

TEPCO took the temperature on Tuesday using an extending arm on a special vehicle. It found the temperature was much higher than the normal level of under 40 degrees. To cool the fuel, TEPCO sprayed 195 tons of water for 6 hours on Wednesday morning. The company thinks the pool's water level was about 5 meters lower than normal, but 2 meters above the fuel rods. TEPCO believes the water level is likely to rise by about one meter after the water spraying on Wednesday.