Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect Radiation levels rising rather than falling after No 3 reactor doused with hoses, while helicopters appear to miss their target * News * World news * Japan earthquake and tsunami Japan nuclear reactor water-bombing has little effect Radiation levels rising rather than falling after No 3 reactor doused with hoses, while helicopters appear to miss their target * o o Share504 o Reddit o Buzz up * Justin McCurry in Osaka * guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011 14.04 GMT * Article history Japanese helicopters drop water on nuclear reactor Link to this video Attempts to cool down a stricken reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan have suffered a further setback with radiation levels rising rather than falling after attempts to douse it with high-pressure hoses. Six fire engines and a police water cannon were sent in on Thursday evening to spray the plant's No 3 reactor. But afterwards radiation emissions rose from 3700 microsieverts per hour to 4000 per hour, the Kyodo news agency quoted Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) as saying. An earlier attempt in which military helicopters dropped thousands of litres of water on the plant also appeared to have failed. As part of the desperate new tactics to avert nuclear meltdown, Chinook helicopters targeted the No 3 reactor's spent fuel rod pool, which is overheating and at risk of releasing dangerous radioactive steam. Two helicopters flying at less than 300 feet dumped <b>...</b>