From the Sidney Morning Herald
While most people are trying to get out of Japan, groups of 50 workers are walking into certain death at the TEPCO controlled Fukushima nuclear plant to prevent a nuclear meltdown from occurring.
About 180 workers, working in shifts of 50, have been working tirelessly since a devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan to prevent disaster while being exposed to deadly levels of radiation.
Workers wear protective suits to protect them from the radiation, but some of the radiation still gets through and makes its way into the workers bodies, causing cell and tissue damage.
They have been pumping and forcing seawater into the reactor cores at the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan to prevent them from catching fire and spreading deadly radioactive material.
One TEPCO employee, TEPCO standing for Tokyo Electric Power company, wrote in a blog that he and his fellow workers kept up the effort despite “the realization that this could be certain death”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said two workers are still missing at the plant.
TEPCO employee Michiko Otsuki wrote on the Japanese social networking site Mixi:
“In the midst of the tsunami alarm [last Friday], at 3am in the night when we couldn’t even see where we going, we carried on working to restore the reactors from where we were, right by the sea, with the realisation that this could be certain death.
“Fighting fatigue and empty stomachs, we dragged ourselves back to work. … There are many who haven’t gotten in touch with their family members, but are facing the present situation and working hard.
“Please remember that. I want this message to reach even just one more person. Everyone at the power plant is battling on, without running away.”
The daughter of one of the workers wrote on Twitter: “My dad went to the Nuclear Plant. I never heard my mother cry so hard. People at the plant are struggling, sacrificing themselves to protect you. Please dad come back alive.”
Another daughter of one of the workers wrote: “My father is still working at the plant – they are running out of food … we think conditions are really tough. He says he’s accepted his fate … much like a death sentence.”
The United Stations Nuclear Agency said 5 people, including four civil defense staff, were injured during the explosions at reactors No.1 and No.3. Six others were injured, including one worker with broken legs, over the past week.
One employee was exposed to radiation during “vent work”, while 17 others had radioactive material on their faces after screenings. Their exposure was considered low, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
The heroes go into the radioactive areas of the plant to pump seawater into the reactors 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Some wear oxygen masks to protect their lungs from radioactive material and wear coveralls, full-face masks with filters, helmets and double-layer gloves.
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