Danger from radioactive groundwater contamination at Fukushima worsening

UN International Atomic Energy Agency ready to intervene.

Japan's nuclear crisis escalated to its worst level since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 with the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the country's nuclear regulator, saying it feared more storage tanks at Fukushima were leaking radiation contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean.

The IAEA said it viewed the situation at Fukushima "seriously" and was ready to help if called upon.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called the situation "deplorable" and the NRA said it feared the disaster was "in some respects" beyond the ability of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), the plant operator's, to cope.

Tepco has been criticized for its failure to prepare for the disaster and has since been accused of covering up the extent of the problems at the plant. After months of denial, Tepco recently admitted the plant was leaking contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean from trenches between the reactor buildings and the shoreline.

It said that contaminated water with dangerously high levels of radiation was leaking from a storage tank, the most serious problem in a series of recent mishaps, including power outages, contaminated workers and other leaks.