TOKYO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Radiation leak could occur at Japan 's Fukushima nuclear plant following Friday's devastating earthquake, but the amount would be small, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Saturday.
Kyodo said Japanese authorities are nearing a decision to release radioactive steam from a troubled nuclear reactor, Japan's industry minister Benri Kaieda said Saturday.
Pressure was rising inside the No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 plant after the quake.
Kaieda said the operator of the troubled reactor is set to open the valve of the containment housing a reactor to reduce rising pressure, a move that could lead to the release of radioactive steam, according to Kyodo.
Kaieda also said the level of possible radiation released from the reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 plant will be very low and the safety of nearby residents has been ensured. Kaieda added that the pressure inside the container of the reactor has been rising and something must be done to release it.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is planning to inspect Fukushima nuclear plant Saturday morning and visit quake-hit zones, according to Kyodo.
Kan will return to Tokyo around 11 a.m. Saturday after visiting quake-hit areas, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, who is also the top government spokesman.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is ready to provide assistance to Japan if requested, the agency's chief Yukiya Amano said.
"The IAEA continues to stand ready to provide technical assistance of any kind, should Japan request this," IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said in a statement.
The agency is maintaining contact with Japanese authorities and monitoring the situation "round the clock," the IAEA said in the statement. 
