Japanese nuclear officials to be replaced

TOKYO, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Japan's three nuclear policy officials are being replaced over the handling of the Fukushima nuclear power plant crisis, Industry Minister Banri Kaieda said.

The officials are the vice minister for economy, trade and industry, the head of the nuclear safety agency and the head of the country's natural resources agency, Kyodo News reported Thursday.

The industry minister also said he would also take responsibility for the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the news agency said.

The handling of the crisis has come under much criticism as radioactive leaks from the damaged reactors at the plant have not stopped. Other problems also persist.

This week, the operator of the plant said extremely high radiation had been recorded on a pipe connecting the containment vessels of the No. 1 and 2 reactors to a main exhaust stack.