Power lines connected to all six reactors at Fukushima

Japanese workers struggling to avert a nuclear disaster have succeeded in reconnecting all six reactors to power lines at the quake-hit Fukushima plant. This was disclosed by Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the plant. However, the company cautioned that a lot of work still needs to be done before electricity can actually be turned on at the plant. The workers are checking all additional equipment for damage to make sure cooling systems can be safely operated.

The critical restoration work at the plant was stalled yesterday after smoke rose from No 2 and No 3 reactors, fuelling fears of fresh radiation leaks from the area rocked by the March 11 quake of magnitude 9 and devastating tsunami.

Meanwhile, seawater pollution in the region has expanded, but the country's nuclear safety agency said there are no immediate health threats. The amount of radioactive iodine reached 80.3-fold of the standard level at the point 8 km south of the plant and 16.4-fold at the point 16 km south.