NHK shows first aerial footage of Fukushima plant

NHK shows first aerial footage of Fukushima plant




An NHK helicopter has flown near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time since the accident occurred last March. The flight took place after the no-fly zone over the plant was reduced to a 3-kilometer radius.

NHK shot footage around 4 kilometers from the plant at an altitude of some 700 meters on Sunday.

The land ministry decided to scale back the no-fly zone from the 20-kilometer radius as it calculated that aerial radioactive readings around the plant had dropped to a safe level. The 3-kilometer radius took effect on Saturday.

The aerial observation confirmed that the No. 3 reactor building has an exposed steel structure distorted by a hydrogen explosion.

The yellow lid on the nuclear containment vessel was visible in the No. 4 reactor building in which a hydrogen explosion ripped out its walls. A person in a yellow work suit was seen walking on the 5th-story of the building.

At a port used by the plant, some 10 workers wearing white protective suits were on a crane vessel working to cover the seabed with cement to block radioactive substances from spreading offshore.

Water leakage from pumps and piping has been reported since February even though the government declared in December that the Fukushima plant was stabilized.

Some 1,000 steel tanks to store contaminated water could be seen at the western part of the plant's compound, showing the daunting task of disposing of water.

Sunday, February 26, 2012 15:02 +0900 (JST)