Radioactive water leaks at Japan reactor,no injuries

TOKYO, Jan 15 (Reuters) Four workers came into contact with radioactive coolant water at a Japanese nuclear power plant, but the operator today said that there had been no effect on their health or on the environment from the leak.

The incident at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama plant in the western prefecture of Fukui took place yesterday afternoon during a regular inspection while the unit was shut, the company said.

Just last week, Kansai Electric restarted the No. 3 nuclear power generation unit at its Mihama plant for commercial operations after a shutdown following Japan's worst-ever nuclear power plant accident more than two years ago.

In the August 2004 accident, hot water and steam leaking from a broken pipe at the plant killed five workers.

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