Nuclear power hopes rise at Japan plant

Workers are close to restoring power to cooling systems at a quake hit Japanese nuclear power plant. Engineer connected a cable through which they hope to supply electricity to part of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Radioactive contamination has been found in some food products from the Fukushima prefecture- Japanese officials say.

The iodine was found in products- reported to be milk and spinach tested between 16 and 18 March and could be harmful to human health if ingested. International nuclear experts at the IAEA say that, although radioactive iodine has short half life of about eight days, there is a short term risk to human health if it is ingested, and it can cause damage to the thyroid.

Traces of radioactive iodine have also been found in tapwater in Tokyo and five other prefectures.

The earthquake and tsunami which struck on 11 March are known to have killed more than 7600 people, while more than 11000 remain missing.

The authorities have begun building temporary homes for some of the hundreds of thousands of people still sheltering at emergency evacuation centres.

Many survivors have been enduring freezing temperatures without water, electricity, fuel or enough food.

Japan has been shaken by scores of tremors since 11 March 20, 2011 one of magnitude 6.1 hir the Ibaraki area south of Fukushima on Saturday. There were no immediate of any damage.

Engineers hope that restoring power will allow them to restart pumps to continue the cooling process.

Japan’s nuclear safety agency earlier hoped that electricity would be restored on Saturday but later revised its projection.

However, Kyodo news agency said the cooling system had already been reactivated at reactor 6 and temperatures in one spent fuel pool had dropped.

Meanwhile emergency workers spent Saturday night spraying the most vulnerable reactor with water. 


On Friday officials raised the alert level at the plant from to five on a seven point international scale of atomic incidents.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has sought to form a crisis cabinet to tackle reconstruction, but the leader of Japan’s conservative opposition rejected an offer to join a grand coalition.

The Japanese is need good food and medicines. Many countries are helping to Japan. All are saying-Help Japanese, Save Japanese.