Radioactive water has leaked into sea, Fukushima operator admits

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant admitted that radioactive groundwater has leaked out to sea, fuelling fears of ocean contamination.

The admission yesterday came the day after Japanese voters went to the polls in an election for the upper house, handing the largely pro-nuclear party of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a handsome majority.

Earlier this month Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) said groundwater samples taken at the battered plant showed levels of possibly cancer-causing caesium-134 had shot up more than 110 times in a few days.

Tepco did not know the exact reasons for the increased readings but had maintained the toxic groundwater was likely contained by concrete foundations and steel sheets. "But now we believe that contaminated water has flowed out to the sea," a spokesman said.

But the spokesman insisted the impact of the radioactive water on the ocean would be limited.