Nuke complex operator ordered to pay damages for voluntary evacuation from Fukushima

The Kyoto District Court ruled on Thursday that Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) is liable for damages arising from voluntary evacuation by residents in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The court ordered TEPCO to pay about 30 million yen (264,000 U. S. dollars) in damages to a couple who voluntarily fled Fukushima after the 2011 nuclear disaster and evacuated to the city of Kyoto.

According to the ruling, part of the sum is associated with lost employment income and expenses due to evacuation, and part of it is compensation for being forced to move to a land that they are unfamiliar with.

It was believed to be the first ruling of its kind and set an example for the voluntary evacuees who are not satisfied with the sum presented by government-established mediation center.

During the Fukushima nuclear disaster, residents living within 20 km of the nuclear plant and some areas beyond were ordered to evacuate, while many other residents voluntarily fled from the area out of caution.