The president of the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant decided not to visit the complex on Thursday, the anniversary of the major 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the crisis, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
It is the first time since the disaster occurred that
"There is no change in our stance that our company will fulfill our responsibility for the rebuilding (of the area) and decommissioning," he said. "We would like to work side by side with the people of Fukushima and carry out activities" to meet the needs of the area.
Following the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami a decade ago, the Nos. 1 to 3 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered meltdowns, while hydrogen explosions damaged the buildings housing the Nos. 1, 3 and 4 reactors. It is the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.
The scrapping of the plant faces multiple hurdles and is expected to take until 2051, according to
At the headquarters of
"We should exercise our responsibility for Fukushima without drawing a line on the 10th anniversary and letting (memories of) the accident fade," he said.
==Kyodo
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