Hero of Fukushima dies of cancer at 58

FORMER Fukushima Daiichi plant boss Masao Yoshida died of cancer in a Tokyo hospital yesterday. He was 58

Masao Yoshida

FORMER Fukushima Daiichi plant boss Masao Yoshida -- a heroic figure who prevented further tragedy during the March 11 disaster -- died of cancer in a Tokyo hospital yesterday.

Mr Yoshida famously defied his bosses and injected the No 1 reactor at the plant with seawater in a move that may have prevented a catastrophic nuclear explosion.

The leader of the so-called Fukushima 50, the men who fought the crisis at the plant from the start, had been battling cancer of the esophagus and succumbed to his illness.

The 58-year-old's cancer was not believed to be related to radiation exposure received during the disaster.

A devout Buddhist, Mr Yoshida was loved by his staff for his strong leadership during the crisis as he battled the cowardice of his superiors and the disorganisation of the Japanese government.

Video shot inside the TEPCO concrete command bunker and released by the company shows that Mr Yoshida also raised the possibility of leading a suicide squad comprised of himself and elderly workers to mount a death mission to restore cooling if the situation worsened.

Members of the Fukushima 50 who shared their thoughts on the disaster with The Australian in March for the two-year anniversary were full of praise for Mr Yoshida and his performance at the height of the crisis.

At the low point of the disaster, when hydrogen explosions were ripping through the reactor buildings, Mr Yoshida had the men with him in the concrete bunker write their names on a whiteboard as a memorial, assuming they would die.

TEPCO yesterday confirmed Mr Yoshida's death and said it was in discussions with his family about funeral arrangements.

Company president Naomi Hirose said Mr Yoshida had worked during the crisis as if he were prepared to die.