Nearly 20,000 people died, whole towns were wiped out and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was destroyed, creating deep fears of radiation that linger today. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government reversed that policy and has accelerated restarts of workable reactors to maintain nuclear power as a main source of Japan’s power supply. A deadly Jan. 1 earthquake in Japan's northcentral region destroyed many homes and roads but didn't damage an idled nuclear power plant. About 880 tons of melted nuclear fuel remain inside the three damaged reactors, and Japanese officials say removing it would take 30-40 years. The amount of melted fuel is 10 times that removed from Three Mile Island following its 1979 partial core melt.

Source: ABC News March 11, 2024 10:04 UTC