2 nuclear workers to be hospitalized for a few days, officials say

Workers in protective suits prepare Thursday to decontaminate two nuclear plant workers in Fukushima, Japan. STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: The workers are being transferred to a national radiological instituteNEW: They had been in the water for 40 to 50 minutesThe workers' skin was in contact with contaminated waterPrompt and thorough washing of the affected area is key, experts say Tokyo (CNN) -- The outlook for two workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, who were hospitalized after they stepped in contaminated water, is generally good, experts said Thursday, provided they were promptly decontaminated.

Three workers were laying cables Wednesday in the basement of the turbine building for reactor No. 3 when they stepped into the water, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters. It seeped into the ankle-height boots of two of the men, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the plant.

Those two men, one in his 30s and a second in his 20s, were taken to Fukushima Medical University Hospital, officials said. The third was not hospitalized, because his boots were higher and covered his skin, avoiding contact, according to Tokyo Electric.

Workers have been attempting to restore power at the Fukushima plant since a tsunami following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake March 11 knocked out electricity.

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