Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida oversaw the annual emergency exercises on Friday to test security measures at one of the country's nuclear power plants in Onagawa
TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2022) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida oversaw the annual emergency exercises on Friday to test security measures at one of the country's nuclear power plants in Onagawa.
According to the exercise plan, an alleged emergency situation occurred at the Onagawa nuclear power plant, Miyagi prefecture, as a result of a powerful earthquake in the northeast of the country. Earthquake shocks with an intensity of more than six points on a seven-point scale caused a malfunction of the plant's cooling system.
"I request the government to promptly respond to the situation by exchanging data, as well as taking measures to resolve the concerns of the population. I would like to ask the local administration to take measures to ensure security, including measures providing for the timely evacuation of the population," the prime minister said during the exercises.
Exercises in case of emergency situations at nuclear facilities are conducted annually by the Japanese government, aiming to advance the interaction between the central government and local administrations.
On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi NPP was heavily damaged in a 9.0-magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, which triggered a massive tsunami that hit the plant and caused three nuclear reactors to melt down. The accident led to the worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl crisis, leading to massive radiation exposure and contamination of surrounding waters.
