TŌKAI, IBARAKI, JAPAN – SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 Hisashi Ouchi was a 35-year-old technician working at a nuclear facility in Tokaimura, Japan. On September 30, 1999, a serious accident occurred, during which Ouchi, along with his colleagues Masato Shinohara and Yutaka Yokokawa, was exposed to an extremely high dose of radiation.
Hisashi Ouchi
While preparing nuclear fuel, an error was made when an excessive amount of uranium solution was added to a precipitation tank, leading to an uncontrolled chain reaction accompanied by a blue flash.
Ouchi received an estimated radiation dose between 16 and 25 grays, considered one of the highest recorded exposures in history. Immediately after the incident, he experienced nausea, vomiting, and his health rapidly deteriorated.
He was transferred to the University of Tokyo Hospital, where he spent the following 83 days in critical condition. His immune system was completely destroyed, his skin peeled off, and his internal organs were failing. Despite intensive medical care, including experimental treatments, his body was unable to regenerate.
Ouchi repeatedly expressed his wish to end his suffering, but doctors continued treatment at his family’s request. He passed away on December 21, 1999, due to multiple organ failure.
This incident is considered one of the most severe nuclear accidents in Japan’s history and led to a reevaluation of safety protocols in the nuclear industry.
READ MORE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokaimura_nuclear_accidents
