Three years on from Tsunami, first group of residents return to live near Fukushima
Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A little more than
three years after the devastating earthquake that struck Japan, the Japanese
government has allowed the first group of residents from the "red
zone" near the Fukushima nuclear power plant to return home. The
group is composed of about 350 inhabitants of the district Miyakoji in the city
of Tamura (located within 20 km considered "high risk" ): According
to the local authorities the radiation levels "permits habitation in the area"
.
On
11 March 2011, a
massive earthquake shook the eastern coast of Japan, causing a
devastating tsunami that forced 470 thousand people to evacuate their homes. Approximately
16 thousand people died immediately after the tragedy (thousands more
disappeared), but the number of victims continues to rise because of the damage
to the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, which resulted in a deadly radiation leak.
According
to government figures there were 15,884 confirmed victims: 2,636 others "disappeared". While police believe it impossible that they
are still alive they must remain in this category until the discovery of their corpses.
An
estimated 80 thousand people were evacuated from the main zone, but it is not
clear how many of them will return home. Many residents, despite the
government's permission, fear radiation. 69
year old Kimiko Koyama says: "Many of our friends and neighbors will not
come back. There is no work, it is
inconvenient and many young people are afraid of radiation".
Others see it
differently. Yutaro
Aoki says, "People want to come back and lead a dignified life, the kind
of life that allows them to feel the ground under your feet". Large
scale decontamination procedures are still underway, and in all probability
many areas are still too dangerous to be inhabited.
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