Tepco Tries to Prevent Explosion (TYO:9501) (PINK:TKECF)

NEW YORK - Tokyo Electric, better known as Tepco, the operator of the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Japan has began to inject nitrogen into the reactor to prevent a possible hydrogen explosion.

The plant was crippled on March 11 following an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami which knocked out the plant's back up generators which powered cooling stations for the plant. As the reactors overheated the uncontrolled energy caused explosions throughout the plant. This heat has already partially melted down at least three of the six of the plant's reactors.

The company says it could take 6 days to put in a total of 6,000 cubic meters of nitrogen gas in the number 1 reactor. Hidehiko Nishiyama a spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency called this “preventive measure.” Nishiyama also said nitrogen would be pumped into reactors 2 and 3.

Since the crisis began in Japan, 12,596 people have been killed and 14,747 people were still listed as missing.