The Japanese government is not guilty of any wrongdoing in connection with the loss of life in Fukushima, the country’s highest court said on Friday, the first of its kind in a series of similar cases.The outcome of the decision as an example will be closely monitored, media reports said.
A magnitude 9.0 tsunami caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 struck the Fukushima Daiichi power station of Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), causing the worst nuclear disaster from Chernobyl and forcing hundreds thousands that have left their homes.The plaintiffs are seeking compensation from Tepco and the rest of the country in a series of court proceedings, and in March the Supreme Court upheld an order for Tepco to pay damages of 1.4 billion yen to about 3,700 people.
Japan’s Cabinet Secretary General HirokazuMatsuno declined to comment when asked about the decision at a press conference, although he said he was aware of it.”No matter what the decision, we will stay close to those affected by the disaster and continue to do our best to rebuild Fukushima and rebuild,” he said.About 470,000 people were forced to evacuate in the early days after the disaster, and tens of thousands are still unable to return.The lower courts were divided over the seriousness of the government’s responsibility to foresee the disaster and ordered Tepco to take steps to prevent it.
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