New leak adds to problems at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant
Latest incidentis a 'large problem' in a string of avoidable accidents at stricken nuclear plant that is struggling to contain damage
Six workers at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant were exposed to a leak of highly radioactive water yesterday, the latest in a string of mishaps the country's nuclear watchdog has attributed to carelessness, saying they could have been avoided.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has been battling to contain radioactive water at the plant, which suffered triple meltdowns and hydrogen explosions following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
In the latest incident, a worker mistakenly detached a pipe connected to a treatment system to remove salt from the hundreds of tonnes of water Tepco pumps over the melted fuel in wrecked reactors to keep them cool.
"It is serious in that it was another problem caused by carelessness, but I do not believe it is a seriously troubling dosage," Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority, said.
"But the fact that there has been a string of incidents occurring on a daily basis that could have been avoided - I think that is the large problem."
Tanaka urged Tepco to improve its handling of contaminated water, but stopped short of saying if it faced any penalties.