Japan to halt three nuke reactors over quake concerns

Prime Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference on Friday his government asked operator Chubu Electric Power Co. to suspend two running reactors and a third shut for a regular inspection at its Hamaoka nuclear plant.

May 06, 2011 04:19 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 02:53 am IST - Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. File photo: AP.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. File photo: AP.

Japan’s prime minister has told a utility to halt three reactors in central Japan because of safety concerns in the event of a major earthquake.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference on Friday his government asked operator Chubu Electric Power Co. to suspend two running reactors and a third shut for a regular inspection at its Hamaoka nuclear plant.

Mr. Kan cited experts’ forecast of a 90 percent probability of a major quake striking the region within 30 years.

He said it was a safety measure after the crisis at the Fukushima Dai—ichi nuclear plant, which was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami March 11.

Residents have long demanded suspension of the Hamaoka reactors.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.