TOKYO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A reactor at a nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, was halted Friday morning following a steam leak near the unit's high-pressure turbine, local media reported.
The leak was detected at around 4:10 a.m. local time at the No. 3 reactor of the Mihama nuclear power plant, Kyodo News reported.
The reactor was manually shut down about 15 minutes later. Kansai Electric Power Co., the plant's operator, said the steam did not contain radioactive material and there was no impact on the external environment.
The No.3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear power plant began operation in 1976. It was temporarily taken offline following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and resumed operation in 2021. ■