Man Dies in Accident at Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido

Sapporo, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)--A 33-year-old male worker died after falling at the Tomari nuclear power plant in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Tuesday, its operator, Hokkaido Electric Power Co., said Wednesday.

The accident happened around 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the company. The man, employed by a partner company, was working at a conveyor belt above a storage pit for gravel, which is a material for the cement improvement soil needed for the construction of sea walls. He fell 8 to 9 meters through an opening into the storage pit.

He was rescued unconscious and taken to hospital but was confirmed dead about three hours later.

Susumu Saito, president of Hokkaido Electric Power, apologized for the accident. "We will stop all construction until safety is confirmed and take measures to prevent a recurrence," he said.

The company had been building a seawall and other items as part of preparations for restarting the nuclear plant's No. 3 reactor next year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]