THE FUKASHIMA DISASTER

out of storage space and the tanks could leak, particularly in the event of an earthquake or typhoon. So, Japanese authorities have given permission to release stored radioactive water through a pipeline into the Pacific Ocean. The water would be diluted inside the plant before release, so it is 40 times less intense, the Yomiuri Shimbun said, with the whole process taking 30 years. An official decision could emerge by the end of this month, said Kyodo news agency.

There has been growing urgency over what to do with the water as space to store the liquid - which includes groundwater and rain that seeps daily into the plant - is running out.

So, what happened in 2011? On

11th March, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, triggering a 15-metre tsunami. While the back-up systems to prevent a meltdown at Fukushima survived the initial quake, further damage was inflicted by the tsunami. As the facility’s cooling systems failed in the days that followed, tonnes of radioactive material were released. The meltdown was the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Around 18,500 people died or disappeared in the quake and tsunami, and more than 160,000 were forced from their homes The main side effects are that areas to the north-west of Japan received high levels of contamination, especially in Fukushima.