On July 19, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) sent a new type of submersible robot into the containment vessel of the third reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant to search for fragments of melted nuclear fuel.
This footage, captured by the robot’s camera, shows the interior of the reactor.
The search lasted for three hours, according to the Japan Times, and the fuel debris was not located. Nevertheless, a TEPCO spokesman said the Toshiba robot provided new information about the damage sustained during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Previous attempts to probe the interior of the first and second reactors at the damaged nuclear plant with robots have stalled due to structural damage and high levels of radiation. Investigators with the company believe that the debris, which needs to be removed for the decontamination of the plant, is located within the third reactor.
All three reactors suffered a meltdown during the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami. Credit: TEPCO via Storyful
