Japan court upholds injunction to halt reactors

[TOKYO] A Japanese court on Tuesday upheld an order for the shutdown of two reactors at Kansai Electric Power's Takahama nuclear plant in western Japan, Kyodo news agency reported, in a widely expected ruling that prevents the utility from restarting them.

Japan's second-biggest utility had appealed Otsu District Court's March 9 ruling ordering it to shut the Takahama No.3 and No.4 units with immediate effect, which marked the first injunction to shut a nuclear plant in operation. The court last month also denied the utility's request for a stay of execution of the injunction.

Kansai Electric is expected to appeal the latest decision to the Osaka High Court.

REUTERS