Smoke pores out of nuclear power plant facility in Japan

Smoke poured out of a nuclear power plant facility in western Japan , but no radiation leakage was reported, an official said. Two workers were injured after inhaling smoke. The incident occurred at a waste disposal facility between the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Oi power plant in Fukui at around 6:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), according to local government official Hiroaki Fujiuchi.

Photo: Smoke pores out of nuclear power plant facility in Japan

Firefighters were having difficulty approaching the facility because of thick smoke, and it wasn't clear what was causing it, according to Takafumi Tanaka of the plant operator, Kansai Electric Power Co. Two workers were rushed to a hospital after inhaling smoke at the facility, but they were not in critical condition and were not exposed to radiation, local fire official Nobuyuki Matsuyoshi quoted paramedics at the scene as saying.

All four boiling water reactors at Oi were operating normally, and there was no radiation leakage, according to Tanaka. Kyodo News agency earlier reported a fire at the plant, but later said only smoke had been detected. Oi is in Fukui prefecture (state), about 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Tokyo , reports the AP.

N.U.