What the New York Times calls "at least a partial meltdown" has occurred at the Fukushima I nuclear power plant's reactor 3. The fact that plutonium has been found in the soil outside this reactor is conclusive evidence that the steel core containment vessel has been breached. The cause of this compromise of the containment vessel and building is the consequence of excessive heat generated by the ongoing nuclear reactions inside the core -- in short, a "meltdown" has occurred.
This is a catastrophe of this highest order -- it really doesn't get much worse than this in the nuclear industry. And the area will be unaccessible and uninhabitable for many decades.
More reporting from ABC.
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A meltdown would explain the high geiger reading in the overflow tunnels.
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