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Mini drones and robots in the Fukushima nuclear ruins

Robots and drones search inside the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor for a way to remove highly radioactive nuclear fuel residues.(Bild: AFP)

The operators of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have sent a "snake-shaped robot" and two drones into one of the three accident reactors to inspect the ruins. The "snake robot" was deployed in the building for the first time on Thursday, said a spokesperson for the energy company Tepco.

It supports two mini-drones. These are particularly maneuverable and can also take photos in hard-to-reach places within the nuclear ruins, Tepco explained.

Deadly radiation for people
The interior of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, which were damaged by a tsunami in March 2011, is so heavily contaminated that people cannot enter it. The drones supported by the robot are to inspect the ruins before other robots can start clearing highly radioactive debris and nuclear fuel.

Tepco is planning an initial test in October to remove a small amount of nuclear fuel - a total of around 800 tons need to be removed. The company expects the dismantling of the nuclear ruins to take around 30 to 40 years.

The east coast of Japan was hit by a severe earthquake and tsunami in 2011. As a result of the natural disaster, 18,000 people lost their lives. The tsunami also flooded the site of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and triggered a meltdown in three of the six reactors. It was the worst nuclear disaster since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.