WORLD
City Closed Near Nuclear Leak
2007-07-18 10:55am
The Japanese city near the world's biggest nuclear power plant has ordered it to stay closed until safety is assured, after an earthquake damaged a reactor and radiation leaked out.
Just hours after the order by Kashiwazaki City, the plant's operator admitted it had under-reported how much radiation had leaked.
However, Tokyo Electric Power Company said it was still within official safety guidelines.
The leaks have renewed fears about Japan's nuclear industry after years of accident cover-ups and fudged safety records.
Senior officials, including the Prime Minister, have criticised the company for not providing information quickly enough.
And the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has criticised it for misjudging earthquake risks.
The plant was near the epicentre of the 6.8 magnitude quake that killed nine people, and flattened hundreds of homes.
(c) NewsRoom 2007