Japan: Sendai reactor continues operating after earthquake.

(Baonghean.vn) - Japanese nuclear regulators announced on April 18 that it was not necessary to temporarily shut down the only nuclear power plant on the southwestern islands of Japan following the earthquake in Kyushu.

The Sendai nuclear power plant continues to operate normally after the two earthquakes that occurred on April 14th and 16th. (Image: Internet)

Officials from Japan's Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) met on April 18 to assess the impact of the earthquakes on the Sendai nuclear power plant, located about 100 km south of Kumamoto.

Officials said the maximum flow rate measured at the reactors at the Sendai plant was 8.6 gallons, well below the 160-gallon threshold that automatically shuts down the reactors.

An NRA representative also stated that the earthquake-resistant measures at the Sendai plant were designed for earthquakes much stronger than those that occurred on April 14th and 16th, and therefore did not cause any problems for the plant's operations.

NRA officials also assessed the impact on three decommissioned nuclear power plants in the Southwest and other areas within the earthquake's path. The results showed that all three plants exhibited no abnormalities.

They also directed the NRA Secretariat to provide detailed and updated information on the operation of nuclear power plants in the event of an earthquake.

NRA experts also said that future seismic activity needs to be closely monitored after being criticized for being slow to update information on its website following the first earthquake in Kyushu on April 14.

Thanh Hien

(According to NHK)