Japan Steps Up Fire Safety Following Fire

Nuclear power plants across Japan will run their own chemical fire vehicles after a power plant damaged by an earthquake raised safety concerns.

Following a magnitude 6.8 earthquake, which triggered a fire at Tokyo Electric Power's (TEPCO) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata, the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency released plans to tighten fire security procedures.

Japan's 11 power plant operators will now install chemical fire vehicles and fire engines with built-in water tanks at their plants by March 2008.

The operators will set up hotlines between the plants and local fire stations to respond more quickly to emergencies, the agency says.