Photos: Remembering the Fukushima tragedy, a decade later
Japan on Thursday marked the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit its northeastern region, where
Japan on Thursday marked the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit its northeastern region, where many survivors' lives are still on hold. Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were among those observing a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. — the minute the shaking started — at a memorial in Tokyo.The magnitude 9.0 quake that struck on March 11, 2011, was one of the biggest on record and set off a massive tsunami that swept far inland, destroying towns and causing meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. More than 18,000 people died, mostly in the tsunami, and nearly half a million people were displaced. Ten years later, more than 40,000 people are still unable to return home in and around Fukushima, where areas near the wrecked plant are still off-limits due to radioactive contamination.
Published on Mar 11, 2021 04:40 PM IST 12 Photos
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This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan on March 14, 2011 after the explosion following an earthquake and tsunami.(Maxar Technologies via AP)
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This file picture taken on March 11, 2011 by Sadatsugu Tomizawa and released via Jiji Press on March 21, 2011 shows tsunami waves hitting the coast of Minamisoma in Fukushima prefecture, in the wake of the 9.0-magnitude quake. Japan on March 11, 2021, marks 10 years since the worst natural disaster in the country's living memory -- the massive earthquake, deadly tsunami and nuclear meltdown which together killed over 18,400 people. (JIJI PRESS / AFP / Japan OUT)
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A combination photo shows a tsunami-hit area (top) taken from a helicopter on March 11, 2011 in Natori in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan and the same area from the helicopter on February 14, 2021, ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the 2011 disaster that killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis.(Kyodo via REUTERS)
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The damage to the No. 3 reactor building shows the ferocity of the hydrogen blast that happened after a tsunami struck at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan on March 1, 2021. (Sakura Murakami / REUTERS)
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