ripsnorted from cbc.ca
"Leak kills 4 at Japanese nuclear plant
Last Updated Mon, 09 Aug 2004 11:58:23 EDT
TOKYO - Officials said four workers died Monday when non-radioactive steam leaked from a turbine at a Japanese nuclear power plant.
Seven other workers were injured and two of them are in critical condition.
The No. 3 reactor of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant. (AP/Kyodo file photo)
The workers suffered severe burns after being exposed to the steam cloud, superheated to about 270 C. Five of those burned experienced heart and lung failure as well, including the workers who died.
A spokesperson for Kansai Electric Power said there was no leak of radioactivity in the incident and nearby residents were not evacuated.
Utility officials blamed a lack of cooling water in the turbine, possibly caused by a hole in a condenser pipe.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters there would be a full investigation.
"It is unfortunate there were deaths," he said. "We must put all our effort into determining the cause of the accident and to ensuring safety."
The 28-year-old Number 3 nuclear reactor in Mihama, 320 kilometres west of Tokyo, automatically shut itself down when the leak occurred. Two other reactors on the site continued operating normally.
In a strange coincidence, a small fire was reported Monday at another Japanese nuclear plant, this one in the western part of the country.
Firefighters quickly put out the blaze at a waste-disposal building next to the main plant. Noone was injured and the operations of the generating station were not affected.
Nuclear plants supply Japan with 30 per cent of its electricity, but their operation has been controversial in recent years because of safety problems and allegations of coverups.
In 1999, two workers died and thousands of local residents had to be evacuated because of a radiation leak at a fuel-reprocessing plant in Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo.
Six months ago, eight workers were exposed to low doses of radiation when a co-worker accidentally sprayed them with contaminated water.
Written by CBC News Online staff"
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/08/09/nuclear_leak040809.html
