Asia-Pacific

Aircraft carrying radioactive material crashes in Japan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-24 13:23

TOKYO - An unmanned aircraft carrying radioactive material crashed into the seas off Iwo Jima, Tokyo on Friday morning, local media reported Saturday.

It was not immediately known whether there was a radioactive materials leak, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced Saturday.

An unmanned aircraft, which belonged to the Ministry of Defense's techinical research and development institute, crashed into the seas after the engine stopped working around 09:30 local time on Friday, the Jiji Press quoted the offcials of the ministry as saying.

The officials said the radioactive material krypton was sealed in glass container and would have little impact on human health and environment even if it was damaged in the sea.