Radiation remains high at Japanese plant despite cooling effort

TOKYO. March 17. KAZINFORM Radiation levels remain high at the quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant in east Japan, the plant's operator said, as efforts continue to cool the reactors from the air; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.

Army helicopters have been dropping tons of seawater on reactors No. 3 and 4 in an effort to cool the overheating fuel rods and prevent a meltdown, but heightened radiation levels persisted past 10 a.m. local time (01.00 GMT), Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the plant, told Kyodo news.

A series of blasts and fires damaged four of Fukushima's six reactors after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan on Friday, sparking a powerful tsunami and killing thousands; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.

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