http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110313-325159/Partial-melt-of-fuel-rod-at-stricken-reactor--Japan-envoyWASHINGTON - Japan's US envoy insisted Saturday there was no evidence a stricken nuclear reactor had gone into full meltdown but acknowledged there had been a "partial melt" of a fuel rod at the quake-hit plant.
Radiation was detected leaking from the Fukushima plant after Friday's massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and an explosion there Saturday sent authorities scrambling to avert a major meltdown.
But a somber Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki said: "We do not see evidence of that at this time. What our government has announced is, that it was a blow-up of the outer building," he told CNN.
"There was a partial melt of a fuel rod, melting of fuel rod. There was a part of that... but it was nothing like a whole reactor melting down," said Fujisaki, adding that he was being briefed hourly on the situation.
<more>