Fukushima under threat again: 4,000 NPP workers evacuated in Japan due to tsunami threat

Against the backdrop of a powerful earthquake off the coast of Russia and a tsunami warning across the Pacific Ocean, 4,000 workers were evacuated from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan. According to the operator, no damage was found at the facility, but for many Japanese, this is an alarming reminder of the 2011 tragedy, when a tsunami caused one of the largest nuclear accidents in the world.

This was reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.

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On Wednesday, the operator of Japan's Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant stated that "all 4,000 of its employees have been evacuated," adding that "no 'anomalies' have been detected."

The cause was a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake that occurred off Russia's Far Eastern coast, prompting a storm warning across the Pacific Ocean.

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For residents of Fukushima Prefecture, the new tsunami warning was a painful reminder of the 2011 tragedy - one of the worst nuclear disasters in world history, the publication writes. At that time, Japan was shaken by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, and a powerful tsunami claimed more than 18,000 lives. 

Waves flooded the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, disabled emergency generators, and caused reactors to overheat. This led to a massive radiation leak, the consequences of which are still felt.

More than 14 years have passed, but hundreds of tons of hazardous materials still remain at the facility, and disputes over the safety and future of the plant continue. 

What happened at the Fukushima nuclear facility on March 11, 2011

Japan experienced the most powerful earthquake in its history, which occurred off the coast of Sendai, just 97 kilometers from the Fukushima-1 NPP. The earthquake and the resulting tsunami damaged critical systems of the plant.

Due to the failure of cooling systems, three nuclear reactors melted down. Powerful hydrogen explosions destroyed the reactor casings, and radioactive substances began to leak into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean.

The disaster forced authorities to evacuate more than 150,000 people. A 30-kilometer exclusion zone was created, where it is still forbidden to return due to high radiation levels.

More than ten years have passed, but the consequences of the tragedy remain noticeable: abandoned homes, devastated streets, and empty shops - a sad reminder of one of the largest man-made accidents in the world.

Earlier, UNN wrote that an 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in Kamchatka, causing partial flooding of the port of Severo-Kurilsk. Tsunami warnings have been issued for the USA, Japan, Canada, and South America.