TOKYO (AP) - A nonradioactive steam leak killed four people and injured seven others Monday in the worst-ever accident at a Japanese nuclear power plant, officials said. One other worker was reportedly in critical condition.
The cause was not clear but no radiation escaped the plant and there was no need to evacuate the area around the city of Mihama, about 200 miles west of Tokyo, officials said. Mihama's population is about 11,500.
The four died after suffering severe burns, said Takanori Amimoto, at the nearby Fukui state government office. Japanese media reported that another worker was in critical condition, and had suffered heart and lung failure.
Takahiro Seno, a spokesman for plant operator Kansai Electric Power, said the plant automatically shut down when steam began spewing from a leak in the turbine building area at the No. 3 nuclear reactor in Mihama. The No. 3 reactor started operations 1976.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040809/D84BMN3O1.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(50 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
