3-meter tsunami reached Japan nuke plant after powerful Jan 1 quake

Tokyo, Jan 10 (IANS) A tsunami measuring about 3 meters high had reached the Shika nuclear power plant in Japan's Ishikawa prefecture after it was hit by a powerful earthquake measuring 7.6-magnitude on January 1, according to the plant's operator.

The tsunami reached the facility at about 5.45 p.m. on January 1, approximately 90 minutes after the quake hit the prefecture and its vicinity, Xinhua news agency quoted the Hokuriku Electric Power Company as saying.

Hokuriku Electric said the waves did not cause safety problems at the plant, as it is built about 11 meters above sea level and has a 4-meter tall seawall.

The tsunami's height was not immediately known as data transmissions from a measuring device set on the seafloor stopped after the quake, the utility said.

The power company released the results of its data analysis of the water-level gauge near the Shika plant's seawater intake as well as the wave gauge near its wharf.

Meanwhile, Hokuriku Electric said that it discovered damage to some elements of equipment in a substation and power transmission lines, but the damage has no impact on the plant's operations.

Both the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Shika plant were taken offline long before the earthquake.

Hokuriku Electric said on January 2 that it had not detected any significant change in the water levels on measuring equipment.

But it later said a rise in the levels had been observed.

As of Wednesday morning, the death toll from the earthquake stood at 203, with 68 people remaining unaccounted for.