Japan Lifts Evacuation Order In 2 Areas Of Fukushima Issued In 2011 - Reports

(@FahadShabbir)

Japan Lifts Evacuation Order in 2 Areas of Fukushima Issued in 2011 - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2023) The Japanese government has revoked its evacuation order in two districts of the town of Tomioka in Fukushima Prefecture, which had been in effect since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japanese media reported on Saturday.

The evacuation order for the districts, adjacent to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, was lifted at 9:00 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT), the NHK broadcaster reported.

Following the 2011 nuclear disaster, about 8.5 kilometers (5.2 miles), or over 10% of the town, had been designated as a difficult-to-return zone, the broadcaster said, specifying that the two districts account for about half of this zone.

Tomioka authorities hope to increase the town's population to 1,600 residents in five years, however, only 54 people have applied to return so far, the report said.

In March 2011, the east coast of Japan was hit by a severe earthquake, causing a tsunami that seriously damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, including the reactor's cooling system. The tsunami killed 15,891 people, while nearly 4,000 people were forced to leave their homes due to the threat of radiation exposure.