Tokyo Elec resumes work to pump water into No.2 reactor-Kyodo

TOKYO, March 15 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) has resumed work to pump sea water into the No.2 reactor at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant by opening a valve on the reactor's pressure vessel, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday.

The electric utility has said that nuclear fuel rods at the quake-stricken reactor were exposed fully for a second time as high pressure built inside the vessel and prevented the injection of sea water.

The rods, normally surrounded by water, are overheating and risk melting down if water levels in the reactor vessel fall so low as to leave them largely exposed. A meltdown could damage the vessel and lead to a large radiation leak, experts say. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Chris Gallagher)