New footage shows tsunami wave and damage to Fukushima plant

Nearly two hours of footage was taken from the air immediately after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan on March 11.

Travelling from the Miyagi prefecture to the Fukushima nuclear plant, the footage, released by the Japanese government, shows the extent of the damage inflicted on the nuclear plant from the earthquake.

Fires in buildings and structural damage to the plant is evident. And whilst in the air the camera crew also capture the first terrifying tsunami waves heading to Japan.

The footage is only fleeting, but a succession of mile long enormous waves can be seen just before the hit the shore.

The camera then captures the aftermath of the tsunami – buildings are flooded, the landscape is swamped and fires burn on the debris floating on the sea.

Engineers at Fukushima are yet to stabilise the nuclear plant and the International Atomic Energy Agency said the situation at the plant remained serious despite recent positive developments.

Fukushima repairs

The Tokyo Electric Power Company has also released stills showing plant workers inside the damaged plant attempting to repair it.

Workers in protective suits can be seen trying to repair electricity pylons and other plant equipment.

However a government spokesman revealed that despite the precautions, three workers stepped into radioactive water yesterday and were transferred for medical treatment.

Yukio Edano, Chief Cabinet secretary and Japanese government spokesman said:

“Yesterday at reactor building number 3 workers were laying cables, atmospheric radiation level is being monitored constantly by their individual dosimetrists but some stepped into the water and (that) water apparently contained higher levels of radiation, as a result workers were exposed to the radiation of more that a 170 millisieverts.

“This is a very regrettable situation, they have been transferred to hospital to receive necessary treatment.

“So their skin was contacted to the contaminated water. The details will be reported to us in due course.”

So far, almost 26,000 people have dead or been declared missing since the disaster.

Handout photo from Tokyo Electric Power Co. shows worker attempting to repair power lines at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Tomioka

Handout photo from the Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency shows Tokyo Electric Power Co. workers checking the parameters of instruments in the central control room at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Tomioka.