Man dies after collapsing during Fukushima plant work

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A worker at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant died Saturday after collapsing while carrying materials as part of crisis-fighting operations, the operator said.

It is the first time a worker has died at the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. since the March 11 mega earthquake and tsunami triggered a series of radiation leakage accidents there. The cause of his death was not immediately known.

No radioactive substances have been detected on the man, who was in his 60s, and he apparently sustained no injuries, the utility said. The man had started working at the plant on Friday and was wearing protective gear at the time of the accident. He was exposed to radiation totaling 0.17 millisievert.

The man, an employee of a subcontractor, collapsed about one hour after he began working at 6 a.m. Saturday with another worker at a waste disposal processing facility. He was unconscious when he was taken to a medical room inside the plant past 7 a.m. and was confirmed dead at a hospital in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, the utility and other officials said.

The other worker has not complained of health problems, the company added.

The accident occurred as the company continued Saturday work to install a new cooling system at the No. 1 plant, where much of the fuel in the core has melted after being fully exposed.

In other moves, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the central government will consider special legislation aimed at compensating local residents and businesses that suffered damage from the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Kan said the government will carry out such compensation "with great responsibility" in a meeting with Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato, who asked the prime minister to take legislative steps because the current laws do not take into account damage stemming from misinformation regarding radioactive contamination of food produce.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano had earlier told a news conference that special legislation would be possible to create jobs and promote the agricultural and livestock industries in areas severely affected by the nuclear crisis.