Yokosuka conducts nuclear accident drill

The city of Yokosuka near Tokyo held its annual drill on Wednesday for evacuating in a nuclear accident.

The drill started 3 years ago in response to deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington to a US naval base in the city.

About 70 people including residents and firefighters took part in the drill. Firefighters urged residents to stay indoors, assuming abnormally high levels of radiation around the US base.

At the nuclear-related emergency response center in Yokosuka, city officials practiced using detectors to check residents for radioactive contamination.

The US Navy did not take part in the drill and denies there is any possibility of radiation leaking outside the base.

But it will hold a drill in December with Yokosuka and others to prepare for the possibility that workers on board the aircraft carrier become exposed to radiation.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 15:08 +0900 (JST)