Japan has adopted increasingly elaborate measures to cool down overheating fuel rods at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the face of mounting panic over radiation exposure.
As of Friday morning, a series of cooling efforts had been made at the No. 3 reactor at the plant, 220 km north of Tokyo.
Military helicopters dumped tons of water, while on the ground, a water cannon truck was deployed to spray water to cool the exposed fuel rods.
Fire fighters from Self Defense Forces also joined the massive cooling operation Thursday after high doses of radiation prevented the truck getting close to the stricken reactor.
Up to 64 tons of water has been discharged on to the No. 3 unit.
Meanwhile, the operator of the crippled power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co.(TEPCO), is racing against time to complete a power line to restore the plant's cooling system, which was knocked out by last Friday's earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
According to workers on site, the water cannon strategy appeared to be working as they saw vapor rising from the No. 3 housing 30 minutes after the operation ended, indicating water had reached the spent fuel rods pool.
By 5 a.m. (2025 GMT Friday), radiation readings taken around the reactor fell slightly to 279.4 microsievert per hour, down from a previous 292.2 microsievert Thursday, according to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Public broadcaster NHK said more special fire engines are expected to arrive Friday afternoon to continue the water spraying operation on the No.3 reactor.
However, aerial water bombardments would not be resumed, Defense Ministry spokesman Ippo Mayama said Friday, without specifying the reason. The effect of the aerial drops remains unclear.
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