Japan Holds Mass Drills In Case Of Earthquake-Related Accident At Ikata NPP - Reports

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2022) Exercises in the event of an earthquake-related accident at the Ikata nuclear power plant (NPP) were held in Ehime Prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku with the participation of 20,000 people, Japanese media reported on Wednesday.

The drills worked through a situation of an accident at the NPP in case of a strong earthquake with a 6+ level of the 7-point seismic intensity scale adopted in Japan and a potential radiation leak that could follow it, the Kyodo news agency reported.

The training maneuvers were attended by representatives of the central government and the Japanese prefectures of Ehime, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Kochi and Oita, which can be affected in the event of an accident.

In particular, drone control was worked out to clarify the scale of a potential accident, as well as maneuvering the drone so as not to interfere with the trajectory of an ambulance helicopter.

The drills also worked through refugee reception actions, according to the news agency.

In December, the third reactor of Ikata NPP was put into operation after two years of maintenance.

In January 2020, following an appeal from local residents who insisted that the NPP was stopped due to safety measures amid the likelihood of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the Hiroshima District Court decided to temporarily suspend the plant. In addition, several emergencies occurred at the Ikata NPP, and permission to restart the reactor was granted only in November 2021.