Sometimes fellow human beings are just…awesome. As the Japanese government struggle to bring the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant under control due to a lack of people willing to go into the contaminated area, a group of pensioners have decided to step up. Why? They are willing to put their lives at risk to save younger people from radiation.

72-year-old Yasuteru Yamada, a former engineer who studied metallurgy, came up with the idea and had this to say:

“My acquaintances and I talked very intensively about the accident and about how we could help contain the disaster. A functioning cooling system is indispensable. But who is supposed to build it? Only people can do it. So why not us? Since we don’t have such a long future ahead?”

He even set up “Qualified Veterans for Fukushima Nuclear Plant No. 1” as a registered charity to convince the authorities of its seriousness. Some 450 people have already offered their help and 90 of them – all in their 60s – have agreed to work in the plant itself.

“I’m worried especially because I can’t yet picture it all. But I sympathize with the young people who have to work there in such terrible conditions – people who still have their lives ahead. That’s why I really want to help.”

[Source: DW-Worldwide]