The level of water inside reactor 1 at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant may be alarmingly lower than Tepco's current estimates, the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization has calculated.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. claims the water level in the primary containment vessel is about 1.9 meters deep, but the organization's nuclear experts said Tuesday it may actually be as low as 40 cm, increasing the risk that melted fuel may be exposed.
The organization, under the industry ministry, believes the water may be leaking from a 2 cm hole in a section of the reactor connecting the primary container and the suppression pool.