More reactor trouble: Fukushima No. 5 loses coolant

09:19 PM
By Michael Winter, USA TODAY

Adding to the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, the cooling level has fallen in the No. 5 reactor, Japan's nuclear safety agency says.

The reactor stopped safely for inspection after Friday's magnitude-9.0 quake, but the tsunami damaged a diesel generator that circulated the coolant, NHK writes. Pressure built up, so a relief valve was opened, thereby reducing the coolant.

To compensate, workers are using the diesel generator for reactor No. 6 to pump water to cool both reactors.

One bright spot: Tokyo Electric reports in its latest update that all is "stable" with the four reactors at the Fukushima Daini nuclear plant, about 7 miles south of Dai-ichi. A nuclear emergency had been declared there after Friday's quake/tsunami.

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