Fukushima nuclear plant: Four workers come in contact with radioactive water
Aerial view of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The Fukushima nuclear plant operator has said that four workers came in contact with water containing radioactive materials. As part of precautionary measures, both of them were hospitalised.
A spokesperson for operator TEPCO told the news agency AFP that five workers were cleaning pipes at the ALPS system filtering wastewater for release into the sea when two were splashed with some of itwhen a hose came off accidentally.
The spokesman added that two others were contaminated when they were cleaning up the spill. The radiation levels of the two hospitalised men's bodies were at or above 4 becquerels per square centimetre, the threshold considered safe.
TEPCO said that as per a doctor, the possibility that the two men sustained burns due to radiation exposure is low.
"We've been told the condition of the two workers being hospitalised is stable," the spokesperson said.
"Both workers will stay in the hospital for about two weeks for follow-up examinations," he said.
Hefurther noted that TEPCO is analysing how the incident happened and reviewing measures so that it won't happen again.
Tokyo recently went ahead with its plan of releasing treated radioactive water into the sea from its defunct nuclear reactor plant.
The incident was reported after TEPCO completed releasing the second batch of wastewater from the plant.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was hit by a tsunami in 2011 following which a large quantity of radioactive material was released, causing significant human suffering.
Some of the nuclear facility's reactors went into meltdown as the cooling systems were overwhelmed, causing a nuclear accident — the worst since Chernobyl.
The water was distilled after being contaminated from contact with fuel rods at the reactor.
The tanks on the site now hold about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water, which is massive. It is a mixture of groundwater, rain that seeps into the area, and water used for cooling.
(With inputs from agencies)
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