Japan reactor vessel 'may have been affected' by blast: IAEA

Vienna, Mar 15: The primary containment vessel of one of the reactors at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan "may have been affected" by an explosion there, the UN atomic watchdog said today. After explosions at both units 1 and 3, the primary containment vessels of both units are reported to be intact.

However, the explosion that occurred at 04:25 UTC on Mar 14 at the Fukushima Daiichi unit 2 may have affected the integrity of its primary containment vessel," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.

All three explosions were due to an accumulation of hydrogen gas, it said.

And it added: "The IAEA remains concerned over the status of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where sea water injections to cool the reactors in units 1, 2 and 3 are continuing. Attempts to return power to the entire Daiichi site are also continuing."

AFP