Japan detects leaks at Onagawa plant

JAPAN: Water leaks have been found at Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi prefecture in Japan after a new 7.4-magnitude earthquake jolted the northeastern area. Tohoku Electric, the operator of the plant, said Friday that water leaked out of the spent fuel pools of reactors number 1 and 2 of the plant, Reuters reported. Japan’s nuclear safety agency said radiation levels outside the plant have not changed and fuel rods are being cooled with one outside power source.

Japan’s meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for waves of up to one meter for the country’s northeastern coasts but later lifted the warning when no tsunami was reported. Emergency services reported that at least three people have been killed and more than 130 others wounded in the strong aftershock.

The developments come as Japan continues to struggle in tackling the nuclear crisis at Fukushima nuclear plant and reported concerns that radiation levels have reached seven million times the legal limit.

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of Fukushima plant, says they are now injecting nitrogen into reactor No. 1 to prevent the risk of a hydrogen gas explosion. Presstv