Fukushima: The nuclear disaster that shook the world - BBC News

On March 11th 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.

#BBCNews #Fukushima #Japan

[lightningvini]

Give that Tepco employee who got fired a damn medal for maintaining his integrity

[swenkooreman]

I am currently studying the Fukushima disaster at uni and it is crazy how many signs there were that it would go terribly wrong one day.

[sweetpeafairy]

God I remember watching the disaster unfold in a geography class, no way was that 10 years ago wtf

[arianahatefi]

I spent an entire year learning about this disaster for a project I had to do, and yet despite the amount of times I’ve heard the story, any time I hear it again it never fails to shock me

[NicoleM]

"The residents wanted information on what information was correct" Wow...I can relate to that!

[rich]

I was living in Tokyo at the time teaching English in the suburb of Setagaya. One of the students at the school lost all of his direct family in the tsunami. To this day I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when it hit.
I also remember the stupidity surrounding the radiation and risks going around in the aftermath, much of which still persist today.
Lastly the shortage of toilet paper for two or so weeks after, I have to admit it made me chuckle when the same thing happen at the start of the COVID lockdown.

[lalakuma]

I hate how whistleblowers always get the short end of the stick instead of being heard 😣

[younngsimba]

I was in primary school when I heard the news and I remember the impact on me seeing that wave come over the sea wall I always feel humble by nature and how it always wins

[junbingwang]

Japan 2021: I do apologize for all that I ve done
Japan 2041: its not my fault, it was done by a previous generation
Japan 2071: there is no such thing

[brahman]

It can occasionally recall the memory of the massive earthquake in my mind, which totally changed my own view of what home-land to be protected is. We have been praying for ALL who are taken family, friends, someone precious by it. We never forget 3/11, as Japanese, for Japan, to the future of us.

[veridia_]

I lived in Korea when this happened....i remember every bit of it. Simply traumatic

[seeksustainablejapan]

Thank you so much for this report, I am talking with a resident who still chooses to live in Fukushima today with her family and I have talked with a Safecast org member Azby Brown in a past talk about the good work they do to pass on actual radiation readings for fukushima and around the world - the crisis is still far from other on many levels

[miiiwa]

Ngl I feel scared imagining that one day, there's a possibility that another stronger one would hit. I heard that the citizens weren't given warnings before it happened. It just happened. I do hope the survivors from 2011 are recovering well even though they're recovering slowly, at least they're recovering from that time. I never experienced being in that situation but I know that it's genuinely terrifying. I can't even bring myself to think what it feels like being stuck in that situation, thinking whether you're gonna live or not or at least see your loved ones for one last time. I feel really upset about the people who had to go through that but it already happened, I'm just wishing and praying for their recovery from that time, and may the people who lost their lives to rest in peace :<

[LouisIreland]

The recently found cracks in the Cape Town Nuclear power plant.

[simmijahan]

Me thinking it was yesterday: oh my gosh
Me realizing it was at 2011:phew oh wait that was 10 years ago

[olincekongo]

_50 000 people used to live here now it's a ghost town._

[liammorris]

Few people i know were there at the time, they got moved to tokyo for awhile, i went not long after you would never know it even happened, such a beautiful place too and some of the best people i've ever met.

[Meghnaaad]

If you consider air pollution related deaths, deaths due to dam collapes, Nuclear power is by far the safest and cleanest energy source of them all.

[Faliat]

I remember looking at the areas wiped off the map on street view and it really struck me hard for a long time that modern, thriving towns could completely vanish without a trace.
When I eventually go to Japan, these places will be an essential visit for me. I am compelled to go and pay my respects to the lost.

[statebriga]

"Worst nuclear disaster of all time"
*Chernobyl stalkers approaching*