Fukushima disaster reason for cancer; 6 young men seek compensation
Six young men who developed thyroid cancer blamed radiation due to the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster as the reason for the disaster.
It was on March 11, 2011 that the world woke up to news of a disaster of major proportions. The nuclear power disaster at Fukushima happened following a massive earthquake off north-east Japan. The earthquake was in fact the reason for the rise of a fearsome tsunami, which led to a nuclear meltdown at the plant.
This nuclear power mishap went down in history as the worst since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine. However, experts then had gauged the damage due to the Fukushima nuclear power disaster as comparatively less, as only lower quantities of radioactive iodine were released.
Fukushima nuclear plant operator being sued
It looks like there has been much more than simple damage triggered by the disaster. Though not of huge magnitude, the accident indeed threw life out of gear for many. This has come to light after six young Japanese people decided to take the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant to court, citing grave illnesses like thyroid cancer. According to them, they have been affected by thyroid cancer following the 2011 nuclear disaster.
The victims who were aged between 6 and 16 at the time of the Fukushima nuclear disaster have said that they got cancer from radiation exposure, and that every one of them had to undergo surgery to remove parts or all of their thyroid glands.
The problem they face now is even worse. Though they reiterate that they had developed cancer due to the radiation from the accident, it would be difficult for them to prove that in court. It needs to be noted that a UN experts committee which looked into the disaster and its fall out had last year concluded that the incident has not led to any direct health problems for the people around.
This needs to be read in the context of a World Health Organization report of year 2013 which had stated that the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident would not cause any notable rise in cancer rates in the region.
Debate over radiation
The issue, however, is large. With the six young men having developed cancer post the Fukushima nuclear power plant incident, the problem has a greater magnitude.
Also considering that the Japanese government had, in 2018, made it public that one worker had died after exposure to radiation and agreed to offer compensation, the six young men have a case.
They are seeking a compensation of $5.4 million from the Fukushima plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco). The company is waiting to see the details before responding to the latest development.
