Tokyo, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government on Saturday conducted a comprehensive nuclear emergency drill simulating a severe accident at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari nuclear plant in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture.
The three-day drill, which runs through Sunday, involves the Hokkaido prefectural government, relevant municipalities and the Cabinet Office. The drill includes exercises conducted at the Tomari plant for the first time in 10 years. About 8,500 local residents are expected to take part.
The drill is based on a scenario in which an earthquake off the western coast of Hokkaido causes equipment failure at the plant's No. 3 reactor, rendering its cooling system inoperable.
On the second day of the exercise, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi declared a nuclear emergency. While some participants transported people assumed to have been exposed to radiation, others held a countermeasures meeting through a video conferencing system.
In 2025, the Nuclear Regulation Authority concluded that the No. 3 reactor at the Tomari plant met the country's new safety standards, a prerequisite for its restart.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
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