One of the heroes who braved high radioactivity levels, high temperatures and danger of explosion to spray water on crippled nuclear power reactors after a killer earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan on March 11 visited Taiwan yesterday to share his experience of the ordeal.
Fire Rescue Task Force Captain Yukio Takayama of the Tokyo Fire Department (TFD) described how the members of his team risked their lives to spray water on the melting and radiation-leaking reactors in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami.
The disaster left more than 20,000 people dead or missing and triggered a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
It was a race against time and increasing radioactivity levels. Takayama and other TFD rescuers arrived at the plant on March 18, a week after the magnitude 9.0 temblor knocked out the nuclear reactors’ cooling systems.
Takayama said his team’s responsibility was to determine where a fire engine equipped with a height-refraction water cannon should be positioned to spray the cooling water.
At that time, the radiation reading at a location to the immediate west of the No. 3 reactor was 300 millisieverts per hour, a level that would require immediate evacuation under normal circumstances, he said.
The TFD initially planned to place a fire engine equipped with the specialist water cannon between the No. 3 reactor and the coast, but the plan was changed because the area was clogged with debris and wood dumped by the tsunami, Takayama said.
He said a new location was found between the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors and the process of putting most of the hose extensions in place went relatively smoothly.
However, connecting the remaining 350m extension had to be done manually because tanks containing hazardous materials and other obstacles blocked the path, he added.
It took the crew nearly seven hours before they could begin spraying seawater to cool the No. 3 reactor.
In his speech to an international disaster management symposium at New Taipei City Hall, Takayama said he had no idea whether his command was right or wrong during the emergency mission, but added that if he had not been there, the task could have failed.
“All the crew members, including me, were scared, but we were all committed and ready to sacrifice if necessary,” he said.
Takayama also offered his and Japan’s gratitude to Taiwan and its people for their generosity and compassion in the wake of the catastrophe.
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