February 19, 2021
TOKYO (Kyodo) A Japanese high court on Friday overturned a lower court decision that dismissed the state’s responsibility in the 2011 nuclear crisis, ordering both the government and the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s operator to pay damages to 43 people who had to evacuate from their hometowns as a result.
The Tokyo High Court ordered the state to cover the total damages of 278 million yen ($2.63 million) together with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., following the precedent set by the Sendai High Court last September.
It marked the third high court ruling among 30 similar lawsuits filed across the country, and the second in which both the state and the utility were ordered to pay damages over radioactive contamination following the meltdowns at the plant.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs hold a news conference on Feb. 19 after the Tokyo High Court found the central government equally liable in connection with the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. (Yuta Ogi)
Yet another high court has found the central government as liable as Tokyo Electric Power Co. for not taking steps to prevent the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011.
The Tokyo High Court s Feb. 19 decision was based on the issuance of a report that pointed to the possibility of a large tsunami striking the Fukushima area.
It determined that the central government s failure to act on the report s findings was “illegal” and ordered it and TEPCO to pay a total of about 280 million yen ($2.7 million) to 43 plaintiffs now living in Chiba Prefecture.
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