Tepco president taken to hospital

The President of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), Masataka Shimizu, has been taken to hospital in Tokyo.

Mr Shimizu was admitted after suffering from dizziness and high blood pressure, according to the company.

Tepco has been struggling to avert disaster at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which suffered damage in this month’s earthquake and tsunami.

Speculation about Mr Shimizu’s health has been rife as he has not faced the media since 13 March.

The latest setback for Tepco comes amid reports that radiation leaking into the seawater from its plant has reached its highest level yet.

Nuclear safety officials said on Wednesday that radioactive iodine in seawater outside the plant was 3,355 times more than the normal, a sign that contaminated water was leaking into the ocean.