Partial Meltdown Occurred At Fukushima, Authorities Say

Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said fuel rods in the plant's No. 2 reactor may have partially melted.

As the crisis at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant stretches into its third week, the extent of the damage caused by leaking radiation remains unclear. Last week the plant’s operators said radiation levels of water leaking from the No. 2 reactor were 10 million times above normal, but later adjusted that measurement to 100,000 times above normal. In a desperate attempt to cool the plant, operators began pumping seawater into the reactors shortly after the earthquake and tsunami knocked the plant’s cooling system off-line. It is believed some of the water has come into contact with melted fuel rods, and there are fears that the contaminated seawater is leaking into the ocean.