Six plaintiffs, aged between 5 to 16 at the time of Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, claim that they have got cancer due to extreme exposure to radiation at the time of the disaster. Recently, they have filed a lawsuit seeking a sum of $5.4m as compensation for their illness, from the plant operator- Tokyo Electric Power Company.
A TEPCO spokesperson refrains from giving any insights, although he mentions that the company was aware of the filing of the case and would “respond sincerely” only after examining the details of the complaint.
History of Fukushima Disaster
On the 11th of March 2011, a significant region of Japan was shaken for about three minutes by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. Massive damage, and subsequent tsunami which was triggered by the earthquake, resulted in an alarming death toll, and wiped entire towns off the map.
When the earthquake hit, there were 11 reactors operating in four Nuclear Power Plants. Out of which four reactors were operating in Fukushima. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is located in the town of Okuma.
Although all the units were automatically shut down when the earthquake struck, it was enough to prevent the plant from generating heat. Then when an enormous wave hit the region and flooded the reactors, it resulted in a huge nuclear disaster.
More than 1,00,000 people living in the surrounding area have been evacuated; due to concern over radiation. This has caused physical and psychological damage to people.
The second most devastating nuclear disaster in history, after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Furthermore, the exclusive zone was set up, which eventually grew larger due to the radiation.
The long-term effects of the radiation remained the center of the debate. Back in 2013, World Health Organization (WHO), has released a report stating that the disaster would not lead to any observable surge in cancer rates in the region.
Recent developments
In 2018, the Japanese government stated that one worker had died after exposure to the radiation.
Furthermore, in 2019, the Tokyo District Court did not find the three top officials of TEPCO guilty, stating that they cannot foresee a disaster.
In the current case, since none of the plaintiffs has a family history of cancer, there is a possibility that exposure to radiation might have led to cancer. However, they might face substantial difficulty in proving this equation.