The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that although the situation at a Japanese nuclear power plant is “very serious,” the situation is stable.

Graham Andrews, a senior aide to IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, said that "there had been no significant worsening" over the past 24 hours at the Fukushima plant damaged by last week’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Andrews also said at the IAEA's press conference that although the situation has not gotten worse, it still could, and that the situation is reasonably stable at the moment compared to Thursday.

The nuclear agency added that Japanese engineers have succeeded in laying a power cable to the number two reactor of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which is expected to expedite efforts to pump in water to cool off the overheating reactor.