TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese nuclear reactor that restarted last week for the first time in more than 13 years after it had survived a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami that badly damaged the nearby Fukushima nuclear plant was shut down again Monday due to an equipment problem, its operator said.
The No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear power plant on Japan’s northern coast was put back online on Oct. 29 and had been expected to start generating power in early November.
But it had to be shut down again five days after its restart due to a glitch that occurred Sunday in a device related to neutron data inside the reactor, plant operator Tohoku Electric Power Co. said.
The reactor was operating normally and there was no release of radiation into the environment, Tohoku Electric said. The utility said it decided to shut it down to re-examine equipment to address residents' safety concerns. No new date for a restart was given.
The reactor is one of three at the Onagawa plant, which is 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Fukushima Daiichi plant where three reactors melted following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, releasing large amounts of radiation.
The Onagawa plant was hit by a 13-meter (42-foot) tsunami triggered by the quake but was able to keep its crucial cooling systems functioning in all three reactors and achieve their safe shutdowns.
All of Japan’s 54 commercial nuclear power plants were shut down after the Fukushima disaster for safety checks and upgrades. Onagawa No. 2 was the 13th of the 33 still useable reactors to restart.
Japan's government last year adopted a plan to maximize use of nuclear energy and is pushing to accelerate reactor restarts to secure a stable energy supply and meet its pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Concern about the government’s revived push for nuclear energy grew after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit Japan’s Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, 2024. killing more than 400 people and damaging more than 100,000 structures. It caused minor damage to two nearby nuclear facilities, and evacuation plans for the region were found to be inadequate.
This photo shows the Onagawa nuclear power plant, operated by Tohoku Electric Power Company, Inc., in Onagawa, northeastern Japan, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Juntaro Yokoyama/Kyodo News via AP)
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR driver Kyle Busch experienced shortness of breath, felt he was overheating and was coughing up blood the day before his death, according to a 911 call obtained Friday by The Associated Press.
Busch died Thursday at age 41. No cause of death has been given, though his family said earlier he had been hospitalized with a “severe illness” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told the AP.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.
During the emergency call placed late that afternoon from the General Motors training facility, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and the caller told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.
The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.
NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell addressed reporters at a news conference Friday but declined to answer any questions about the cause of death or any health problems that might have plagued Busch.
“We are 24 hours from getting a phone call and out of respect for the family, and they have asked for privacy, I am not going to address anything,” O'Donnell said. “But transparency is something that we all believe in. So in due time I think that everyone will be comfortable with where things stand.”
O'Donnnell talked at length about Busch's legacy, his rebellious nature and even his feuds with NASCAR, while calling him “an American badass.”
“We certainly had our battles but I would give a lot of money to have a few more battles,” O'Donnell said.
He joked about the time Busch pretended to be seriously hurt when NASCAR had ordered him to go to the infield care center after hitting the wall at Texas.
“He laid flat out on a pit cart, made fun of us,” O'Donnell said. “I was mad at the time, but I look back and that was damn funny — and that was Kyle.”
O'Donnell mentioned NASCAR might consider adding Busch to this year's list of Hall of Fame Class of 2027 inductees, which was determined earlier this week with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips being voted in.
The news of Busch's death sent shock waves across the motorsports world on one of racing's biggest weekends, which also features the Indianapolis 500.
The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes honored Busch with a moment of silence before Thursday night's Eastern Conference Finals game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Vice President JD Vance took to social media, saying “I had the opportunity to meet Kyle, one of NASCAR’s greatest racers, on the campaign trail in 2024. Usha and I are praying for him and his family. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.”
Richard Childress Racing announced plans to suspend use of Busch's No. 8 Cup Series car until his 11-year-old son, Brexton, is old enough to begin NASCAR racing.
Gloomy, gray skies hung over the track on an unseasonably cool day in Concord, which seemed a fitting background for the in memoriam photo of Busch on the videoboard.
Christopher Bell was among the drivers planning to run in the NASCAR Trucks Series race on Friday night, one that Busch had been scheduled to compete in. Busch won last week's Trucks race at Dover — the final win of his career — giving him 234 victories across NASCAR's three national series, the most of any driver.
“It's going to be very strange to be out there without Kyle in the field,” Bell said. “It's going to take a long time before things feel back to normal.”
Bell called Busch's death a “gut-wrenching feeling.”
He said he spoke to Busch before the last Trucks Series race and said he seemed “normal, like completely normal.”
On Monday, Busch posted a birthday message to Brexton on Instagram, saying, “Your mom & I are so proud who you’re turning out to be!”
The father and son spent Tuesday night in Durham, North Carolina, with the Andretti family at the opening of a go-kart facility.
“I guess it is a very stark reminder of how fragile life can be,” Bell said.
O’Donnell said NASCAR never seriously considered canceling the Coca-Cola 600.
“Kyle Busch would probably be pretty (upset) if we didn’t race,” O’Donnell said. “So we’re going to honor his memory and make sure people know what he was all about.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - Kyle Busch, left, and his son greet fans before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, April 23, 2023, in Talladega, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)
NASCAR CEO Steve O' Donnell speaks during a press conference about the passing of driver Kyle Busch, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
FILE - Kyle Busch is introduced during the NASCAR All-Star auto race at Dover Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File, File)
The number '8' is displayed at the top of the scoring tower inside Charlotte Motor Speedway in honor of the late driver Kyle Busch, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
A flag is raised in honor of the late driver Kyle Busch outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
