? ?
WORLD / Asia-Pacific
Fire breaks out at Japanese nuclear plant
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-20 14:06
TOKYO - A fire broke out Thursday at a nuclear power plant that was
damaged in a July earthquake in northwestern Japan, but no radioactive
material was leaked, plant officials said.
The fire, which was extinguished by a plant worker, started from a power
cable of an air conditioner on the roof of a building at the
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, according to Shogo Fukuda, a spokesman of Tokyo
Electric Power Co, which operates the plant.
The fire occurred outside the restricted area, and there was no danger of
a radiation leak, Fukuda said. Firefighters later confirmed that the fire
was extinguished in about half an hour.
Nobody was injured in the fire, but the extent of damage to the plant was
not immediately known, the spokesman said.
The cause of the fire was currently under investigation, he said.
The plant, which is the world's largest in terms of output, suffered a
long list of radioactive leaks and malfunctions during the magnitude 6.8
quake on July 16, which killed 11 people and injured more than 1,000. It
was undergoing repairs and a series of tests following the quake damages.
TEPCO share was down 3.37 percent at the end of morning trade on the
Tokyo Stock Exchange, along with other utility stocks that fell Thursday
due to higher oil prices. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.08
percent in the morning.
Yoshiaki Okuda, an analyst with Marusan Securities Co, said "The fire
partially served as a negative factor for investors," but had little
impact on the market.
The plant is located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Tokyo.
Top World News ?
* US official calls for new sanctions against Iran
* O.J. Simpson freed after posting bail
* NATO forces launch major Afghan operation
* Russian defence minister resigns
* Rice swipes at IAEA, urges bold action on Iran
Today's Top News ?
* Wipha kills 5, weakens to tropical storm
* UNGA rejects Taiwan's UN bid
* China credited with progress on Darfur
* $3.6b of State funds misused
* Wipha heads north, hitting East China
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Learn Chinese online, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
No comments:
Post a Comment