Japan rapped as "absolutely unacceptable" a radiation reading error by the operator of a crippled atomic plant
Japan Monday rapped as "absolutely unacceptable" a radiation reading error by the operator of a crippled atomic plant, where dangerous conditions have disrupted crucial work for two days.
Work has been halted at reactor two of the Fukushima plant that is at the centre of Japan's cascading disaster -- an earthquake that sparked a tsunami which in turn triggered the world's worst nuclear emergency since Chernobyl.
Radiation from the plant northeast of Tokyo has wafted into the air, contaminating farm produce and drinking water, and seeped into the Pacific Ocean, although officials stress there is no imminent health threat. Engineers are racing to restore cooling systems knocked out by the tsunami, but fear that radiation has already escaped, either through leaks in the steel-and-concrete reactor casings or their pipe systems.
Embattled operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) doesn't know for sure what happened inside three reactors after explosions ripped away or damaged their outer buildings, designed as the final barrier to the atmosphere.
The company came under fire Monday, a day after it erroneously said radiation in water at the stricken site had reached 10 million times the normal level, later issuing a much lower -- but still dangerous -- figure. "Considering the fact that the monitoring of radioactivity is a major condition to ensure safety, this kind of mistake is absolutely unacceptable," said top government spokesman Yukio Edano.
At a press conference Monday, TEPCO officials for the first time mentioned the possibility that the core pressure vessels of reactors one, two and three may all be damaged, Jiji Press news agency reported.
TEPCO has faced heavy criticism for not briefing the workers sufficiently before sending them on their dangerous mission which saw the two men sloshing through the pool without full-length boots. Work at reactor two has been temporarily halted since Sunday because of the danger.
