Powerful Typhoon Heads Towards Damaged Fukushima Nuclear Plant

     

Nine people were reported dead or missing after heavy rainfall, flooding, strong winds and high waves marked the arrival of Typhoon Roke, the 15th Pacific storm of the season.

More than a million residents were initially urged to evacuate from flood-sensitive regions while 575,000 homes were left without power after the storm dropped up to 400mm of rain in parts of the country.

The storm appeared to be on a path towards the tsunami-ravaged northeast coast, home to the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant, sparking fears of further radiation leakages into the ground or sea.

However, there were reports of the storm weakening on approach, while the plant’s operators earlier stated that the reactor’s crucial cooling systems would not be endangered.

Takeo Iwamoto, a spokesman for the plant’s operators Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), said: "Several works and operations at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi were affected due to wind and heavy rain brought by the typhoon. We halted seawater sampling, seawater treatment and works to build water shields." The storm arrives just weeks after another typhoon swept across Japan leaving more than 90 people dead or missing and causing widespread flooding, mudslides and structural damage.

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