NEWS

The embattled operator of Japan's radiation-leaking Fukushima nuclear complex today said the level of toxic water in two of the six reactors of the plant has risen, which is hampering the critical work of restoring its cooling functions.

Workers of the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), are engaged in moving highly radioactive water from the tunnel of the No. 2 reactor to a temporary storage facility.

However, the power company said the water level in the tunnel of the No. 3 reactor rose to 99 centimetres below the surface last evening. That passes the level at which TEPCO plans to remove the water, but it is yet to secure storage space, national broadcaster NHK reported.

The water level in the basement of the No.3 reactor's turbine building also rose by 10 centimetres over 3 days, more than a month after a magnitude-9 quake and tsunami left nearly 30,000 people dead or unaccounted for in Japan's north east.