The first (lowest) state of emergency has been declared at Japan's Onagawa nuclear power plant, theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Sunday.

The UN nuclear watchdog, however, said the three reactor units at the power plant are now under control, quoting information from the Japanese government.

The alert was declared "as a consequence of radioactivity readings exceeding allowed levels in the area surrounding the plant," IAEA said in a statement, adding Japanese authorities are investigating the source of radiation.

Japanese authorities also informed the IAEA that venting of the containment of the Unit 3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started at 9:20 a.m. Sunday local time, through a controlled release of vapor. The operation is intended to lower pressure inside the reactor containment.

Following the failure of the high pressure injection system and other attempts of cooling the plant, injection of water first and sea water afterwards started, the statement said. Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that "accumulation of hydrogen is possible," heightening concerns about a possible explosion. Unit 1 of the nuclear power plant has exploded after the devastating 9-magnitude earthquake that struck Friday.

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