Worker killed in accident at Japanese nuclear power plant

A worker has been killed in an accident at a nuclear power plant in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, made the announcement on Saturday and said the victim was a man in his 50s.

He fell unconscious after suffering a blow while working to contain radioactive water there. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the firm.

The man worked for a subcontractor of Kajima Corp construction firm, Japan-based Jiji Press reported, citing TEPCO officials.

In another accident in January, one worker died after falling into an empty tank at the complex. That worker was the second person to have died at the plant that was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

In March 2014, a worker died after he was buried in rubble while digging at the site.

On March 11, 2011, a nine-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that inflicted heavy damage on the six-reactor Fukushima plant. The cooling systems of the plant’s reactors were knocked out, leading to meltdowns and the release of radioactive material.

Nearly 7,000 workers remain at the plant and are trying to stabilize it as well as contain large quantities of toxic water.

The meltdowns at the plant resulted in the contamination of the surrounding area, forcing the compulsory evacuation of 80,000 residents. Most of them remain unable to go home.

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