Ex-Fukushima plant chief Yoshida suffered bleeding to brain: TEPCO
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday that former Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant chief Masao Yoshida, who is recuperating from esophageal cancer, suffered bleeding to the brain and underwent emergency surgery last week.
"His condition is serious, but there's no threat to his life and he's conscious," Executive Vice President Zengo Aizawa said at a press conference, while refraining from commenting further on Yoshida, who played a key role in handling the nuclear crisis at the plant last year.
Yoshida felt ill last Thursday and was taken to a hospital where he was found to be suffering bleeding to the brain, according to Aizawa. Yoshida had left the position of plant chief in December after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Citing comments by doctors, another TEPCO official said it was unlikely that the bleeding was directly connected to Yoshida's esophageal cancer or radiation exposure.
During the press conference, TEPCO unveiled its updated work schedule for scrapping the crippled Nos. 1 to 4 reactors at the Fukushima plant, reflecting the ongoing preparations to remove nuclear fuel from the No. 4 unit's spent fuel pool and plans to maintain the stability of the plant.
It also maintained the timeline for completing the decommissioning process within 30 to 40 years as stated in the initially announced medium- to long-term work schedule in December.
TEPCO also said the same day that a survey of the plant's subcontractor workers showed that many were not satisfied with their working conditions in general.
A total of 62 percent of the respondents said the environment of the work site was "not good," with some expressing concern about whether their masks were safe enough from radiation exposure. A total of 69 percent, meanwhile, were unhappy about the meals.
The questionnaires were answered by 1,913 workers between May 17 and May 31, the utility said.
"On the whole, there were many 'not good' assessments and there is a need for further improvement," TEPCO said in a document on the outcome of the survey.
"His condition is serious, but there's no threat to his life and he's conscious," Executive Vice President Zengo Aizawa said at a press conference, while refraining from commenting further on Yoshida, who played a key role in handling the nuclear crisis at the plant last year.
Yoshida felt ill last Thursday and was taken to a hospital where he was found to be suffering bleeding to the brain, according to Aizawa. Yoshida had left the position of plant chief in December after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Citing comments by doctors, another TEPCO official said it was unlikely that the bleeding was directly connected to Yoshida's esophageal cancer or radiation exposure.
During the press conference, TEPCO unveiled its updated work schedule for scrapping the crippled Nos. 1 to 4 reactors at the Fukushima plant, reflecting the ongoing preparations to remove nuclear fuel from the No. 4 unit's spent fuel pool and plans to maintain the stability of the plant.
It also maintained the timeline for completing the decommissioning process within 30 to 40 years as stated in the initially announced medium- to long-term work schedule in December.
TEPCO also said the same day that a survey of the plant's subcontractor workers showed that many were not satisfied with their working conditions in general.
A total of 62 percent of the respondents said the environment of the work site was "not good," with some expressing concern about whether their masks were safe enough from radiation exposure. A total of 69 percent, meanwhile, were unhappy about the meals.
The questionnaires were answered by 1,913 workers between May 17 and May 31, the utility said.
"On the whole, there were many 'not good' assessments and there is a need for further improvement," TEPCO said in a document on the outcome of the survey.
