What happened at Fukushima 10 years ago? BBC World Service

On 11 March 2011, Japan's most powerful earthquake on record triggered a tsunami, which then caused a meltdown at a nuclear power plant. It wiped entire towns off the map and forced Fukushima’s residents from their homes as radiation leaked from the plant.

The government estimates the disaster could cost nearly $200bn, and the clean-up may take until 2051. Today the prefecture of Fukushima is still dealing with the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

What happened that day, and what was it like for the people who lived through it? The BBC’s Tui McLean explains how the triple disaster unfolded.

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[luishernandezblonde]

When Japan won the 2011 Women's World Cup, I feel their emotion was always reeling in deep after the tragic earthquake. Never knew it was so painful and long-lasting.

[jhca]

Fukushima is not a city, it is a prefecture which is at the level of the states in the US.

[sixucai]

so they want to release the nuke water into the sea. yeah, under some sort of "standard".

[vsMagua]

198.3 Billion Dollars! That's less than 1/10th of the two trillion dollar Covid Relief bill just passed in the U.S.. Japan should be spending that 198.3 billion dollars each year until the job is done. 2051...Come On Man!

[KyivandChornobyl]

The Chernobyl disaster was more serious in terms of the level of radioactive contamination. But time heals. Now tourists visit the Chernobyl exclusion zone without harm to health. I have personally visited this place over 800 times.

[sliduyzamnoyu]

Pronouncing Fukushima isn’t hard to speak but BBC British having difficulties

[Og-Judy]

The city of Fukushima is NOT on the coast!

[dishsoap]

We should not give up on nukes. It’s still a safe way to generate power and clean power at that. Windmills and solar cannot completely replace fossil or nuke plants. But, Nuclear can replace them all.

[Dtitilator]

I thought I was watching a documentary about the earthquake and the nuclear plant, not a campaign against nuclear energy.

[CastleLager-lfeu]

Nuclear power prevented an average of over 1.8 million net deaths worldwide between 1971-2009 due to fossil fuel combustion. People are just enthused by these random, once in a decade events because they are headline grabbing. Nuclear power can be made safer and it is the solution. Japan has come to the same conclusion. Hiroshi Kajiyama - Japan's Energy Minister said- "Personally, I think nuclear power will be indispensable" He described Japan's electricity supply as "touch-and-go" during heavy snowfall last month, which resulted in high electricity prices and tight supplies in some areas of the country. "Solar wasn't generating. Wind wasn't generating. I'm trying to persuade everybody that in the end we need nuclear power."

[吉姆格林]

BBC Pls tell the world what is happening now? double standard kindly enjoy their nuclear water

[jameswaber]

to decarbon you need nuke energy but work for fusion---until then you have to have fission plants & it is true from direct nuclear accidents? about 25 people have died [obv more from "knock on effects"] but that means nuke is less polluting and safer than many many others

[michaelmcfeely]

Why did they put a nuclear plant at sea level facing a known subduction zone?

[Ed-tykr]

What do they mean by 10 years ago? The darn thing is still leaking into the Pacific, stop acting all nostalgic BBC.

[Blue_Lugia]

Around 20.000 people died, how did I not know this? :O
I remember that day in 2011 and how I asked people on my job like "Did you hear about that?"
And not untill 10 years later, I realized how serious and tragic this was....Embarrasing....😞😞

[devon]

Professor - Fear of nuclear radiation is worse than radiation poisoning. Yes because your body destroying and eating itself alive really isn't the worst possible thing that can happen to you????

[ggood]

Yeah we’re all doomed to die of some form of cancer
Damn...

[klchai]

the emperor, japan government and people should mourn the tens of million of victims kil-led by them during WW2 and before, treasure your lives but not others, hy-po-crite japanese..

[AVM]

BBC: have you realized that every single "specialist" you interviewed for this video is a man? Did anyone else noticed that as well?

[cedcol]

biggest coverup in history thats what happened. but it's not Chernobyl so lets not talk about it if we can help it