UN nuclear watchdog chief says atomic plants never '100%' safe

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said that his agency would keep working to improve safety after the Fukushima crisis

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said today his agency would keep working to improve safety after the Fukushima crisis, but no atomic plant could be "100%" safe from natural disasters.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the comments before he meets Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later today, as Japan moves closer to restarting two reactors despite objections from a nuclear-wary public.

"What's important for our safety is an evolving process -- we need to improve safety continuously without... Falling into complacency," he told a press briefing.

"But any natural disaster can happen in any part of the world... There is no 100% safety in the real world."

Amano added that "what we can do is to prevent an accident (as much) as humanly possible, and to get prepared for the mitigation of the consequences" of one.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake sent a massive tsunami barrelling into Japan's Pacific coastline, sweeping away more than 18,000 victims and destroying coastal communities.

The huge waves swamped cooling systems at the Fukushima plant, sparking reactor meltdowns and explosions that spewed radioactive materials across the vast farm region. It was the worst nuclear accident in a generation.

Although no one died as a direct result of the atomic accident, at least 1,656 Fukushima residents died due to complications related to stress and other conditions.

Tens of thousands were forced to evacuate the area and may never be able to return home.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power was severely criticised, including claims it had badly underestimated the maximum size of a tsunami hitting the plant.

Japan's commercial nuclear reactors remain offline, with public opinion generally in favour of keeping them off.

But Abe's government wants to switch nuclear power back on as Tokyo's energy bills skyrocket.

The country was forced to turn to pricy imported fossil fuels to plug the energy gap since nuclear once supplied about one-third of Japan's electricity.