Japanese Scramble to Avert Meltdowns as Nuclear Crisis Deepens After Quake

Japanese Scramble to Avert Meltdowns as Nuclear Crisis Deepens After Quake

By HIROKO TABUCHI and MATTHEW L. WALD

Japanese officials said Sunday they presumed partial meltdowns had occurred at two crippled reactors and that they were facing serious cooling problems at three more.

• Interactive Feature: The Crippled Japanese Nuclear Reactors
• Danger Posed by Radioactivity in Japan Hard to Assess
• Nuclear Industry Braces for Increased Scrutiny