Radioactive leak into sea was 20,000 times above limit: TEPCO

[jpak]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/radioactive-leak-into-sea-was-20000-times-above-limit-tepco/articleshow/8056438.cms

Highly radioactive water that leaked into the Pacific Ocean from the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in early April contained an estimated 5,000 terabecquerels of radioactive substances, 20,000 times the annual allowable limit for the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co has said, adding that the leak amounted to 520 tons.

It is the first time that the plant operator has issued data on the level of radioactive materials contained in the leak, which the utility estimated to have lasted for six days through April 6. But the actual scale of the leak may have been larger because a greater amount of contamination was detected in the sea from late March.

The country's worst nuclear crisis, triggered by the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami, continued to affect residents near the plant in Fukushima Prefecture, with the government deciding the same day to legally enforce a no-entry zone within a 20-kilometer radius of the plant.

But the government said it would basically allow residents living in the 3 to 20 km-radius zone to return home for up to around two hours, given that many are hoping to collect belongings and inspect their homes after being forced to evacuate.

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