Comment by anonymousiam
3 hours ago
There's a difference between control rods (which are used to reduce fission by absorbing neutrons) and fuel rods (which contain enriched fissile material). In this case, the control rods that fell into the core would pose no risk at all to anybody, but would inhibit the ability of the reactor to reach full capacity.
Yes. Note that fuel rods don't move, so they would not "drop into the core". They can later be lifted out when the reactor is refueled but are fixed in place when the reactor is in operation.