Radioactive water from Fukushima reactor found leaking

Tokyo Electric Power Co said Wednesday that it has found radioactive coolant water leaking from a broken pipe in the Number 4 reactor of the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi power plant, but added that the liquid has not flowed outside the reactor building.

At the time of the devastating earthquake and tsunami last March 11, the reactor's fuel rods were in its spent fuel pool due to maintenance work that was taking place.
However, the leaked coolant water contains radioactive materials as it is connected with the pool's coolant.

According to the utility known as TEPCO, about 6 liters of water were found to have leaked onto the floor of the Number 4 unit building at 10:30 pm Tuesday. The leak was stopped at 10:43 pm by closing a valve, officials said.

The utility is looking into the cause of the damage to the pipe and believes it may have some connection with the recent cold weather or the explosions that took place at the plant in the early phase of the nuclear crisis.