28 Feb (NucNet): Two workers who died during the tsunami at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan were killed after they went to the unit 3 turbine building basement to check on the level of the surge tank for the turbine auxiliary cooling system, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has said.
Tepco said in an excerpt of a report posted on its website that following the emergency shutdown of unit 3 at the plant after the 11 March 2011 earthquake, a signal in the main control room (MCR) showed the level of the surge tank was low.
Operators in teams of two went to the basement, first floor, and second floor of the turbine building to investigate while the shift supervisor stayed in the MCR to handle the scram following the earthquake.
Tepco said the two victims contacted the MCR and reported that there was a leak in the electro-hydraulic control (EHC) pump room.
At this point the assistant work manager, who was watching for a possible tsunami, confirmed that a tsunami was approaching and contacted the MCR, where staff ordered all workers to return to the MCR. But Tepco said the MCR was unable to contact the two victims.
The tsunami hit the plant at 15:35 local time and “it is assumed that the tsunami engulfed the basement at this time”, Tepco said.
