What caused the Fukushima reactor to explode?

Following a major earthquake, a 15-metre tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident beginning on 11 March 2011.

Is Fukushima still melting down?

The accumulating water has been stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi plant since 2011, when a massive earthquake and tsunami damaged its reactors and their cooling water became contaminated and began leaking. TEPCO says its water storage capacity of 1.37 million tons will be full around the fall of 2022.

Did the core explode at Fukushima?

The accident at Fukushima occurred after a series of tsunami waves struck the facility and disabled systems needed to cool the nuclear fuel. The accident at Chernobyl stemmed from a flawed reactor design and human error. At Fukushima, there were no explosions within the cores.

Is Fukushima reactor still running?

In April 2012, Units 1–4 were shut down. In April 2021, the Japanese government approved the dumping of radioactive water of this power plant into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years. The sister nuclear plant Fukushima Daini (“number two”), 12 km (7.5 mi) to the south, is also run by TEPCO.

What went wrong at Fukushima?

At the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the gigantic wave surged over defences and flooded the reactors, sparking a major disaster. Authorities set up an exclusion zone which grew larger and larger as radiation leaked from the plant, forcing more than 150,000 people to evacuate from the area.

How long will Fukushima be uninhabitable?

100 years
A large area around the Fukushima nuclear power plant will be uninhabitable for at least 100 years.

Did Fukushima cause human error?

The accident occurred at the Fukushima plant – the report notes in its conclusions – is the result of collusion between government, the regulatory agencies and TEPCO (the company operating the six reactors). …

Is Fukushima Safe 2020?

The United Nations and the International Commission on Radiological Protection have published reports saying that radiation risks in Fukushima are low. Other organizations, like Greenpeace, dispute those findings. The Japanese government insists that the areas being reopened are safe.