Japan: Deaths Of Two Workers Confirmed At Crippled Nuclear Plant

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(RFE/RL) — The operator of the radiation-leaking nuclear power plant in Japan has announced the discovery of the bodies of two workers — marking the first confirmed deaths at the Fukushima Daiichi complex.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company said the two workers had been missing since the plant was crippled by Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

The men, aged 24 and 21, had died of bleeding from multiple injuries sustained during the natural disaster.

Satellite image of the Unit 3 moments after the second explosion on 14 March, 11:04 JST
Satellite image of the Unit 3 moments after the second explosion on 14 March, 11:04 JST

Efforts are meanwhile continuing in a bid to seal a crack in a damaged reactor at the Fukushima plant that has been leaking radiation into the Pacific.

Officials say attempts to seal the crack with cement have failed, and now engineers are trying to use chemical polymers to block the flow of contaminated water from Reactor No. 2.

The disaster has led to substantial amounts of radiation leaking into the air, soil, and sea around the plant, raising concerns about health risks and long-term damage to Japan’s economy.

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