Dangerous breach suspected at Japanese nuke plant

TOKYO, Mar 25 (agencies): A suspected breach in the reactor core at one unit of a stricken Fukushima nuclear plant could mean more serious radioactive contamination, Japanese officials said Friday, revealing what may prove a major setback in the mission to bring the leaking plant under control. The uncertain situation halted work Friday at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, where dozens had been working feverishly to stop the overheated plant from leaking dangerous radiation, officials said. Suspicions of a possible breach were raised when two workers waded into water 10,000 times more radioactive than normal and suffered skin burns when the water splashed over their protective boots, the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency said. However, though damage cannot be ruled out, the cause remained unclear, spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama told reporters. The confusion was yet another setback to the urgent task of gaining control of the Fukushima nuclear plant 140 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo two weeks after a magnitude-9 quake triggered a tsunami that engulfed the facility and knocked out its crucial cooling system. The plant has been releasing radiation, with elevated levels of radiation turning up in raw milk, seawater and 11 kinds of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and turnips. Tap water in several areas of Japan - including Tokyo - also tested with radiation levels considered unsafe for infants, who are particularly vulnerable to cancer-causing radioactive iodine, officials said. Meanwhile:: Workers who were burned trying to cool a crippled Japanese nuclear plant were exposed to radiation levels 10,000 times higher than normal, officials said Friday, but they played down suggestions that a reactor was leaking. A rupture in a reactor would mean a serious reversal following days of slow progress in containing radiation leaks after a killer earthquake and tsunami tore through the Fukushima nuclear power complex two weeks ago. Over 10,000 people were killed and 17,500 remain missing in the disaster, according to latest police figures. But even those numbers have been eclipsed by the possibility of a catastrophic meltdown at Fukushima, just 250 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo. More than 700 engineers have been working in shifts around the clock to stabilize the six-reactor Fukushima complex but they pulled out of some parts when three workers replacing a cable at the No. 3 reactor were exposed to high contamination Thursday, officials said.