Fukushima nuclear crisis was a man made disaster, says report

Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown March 2011 was caused by mix of man made error nor the natural disaster which was being blamed earlier, says an investigation report, tabled on Thursday in the parliament.

According to investigating report, Fukushima nuclear crisis was collusion between the government, regulators and the plant operator.

A 641- page report was prepared by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission in the leadership of Kiyoshi Kurokawa, former head of Tokyo University’s Department of Medicine.

"The ... Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and Tepco, and the lack of governance by said parties," said commission in its report.

According to The Telegraph, the report commissioned by parliament also blamed cultural conventions and a reluctance to question the authority for the damage to three reactors caused by a tsunami on March 11 last year.

The panel also pointed problems in the response of plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) and then Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who had resigned last year after criticism in the handling the natural disaster that developed into a 'man-made crisis'.

The report said that the regulators were reluctant to adopt global safety standards that could have helped prevent the disaster.

The panel found that seismic damage may well have played a role could also affect the restart of reactors that were taken offline, mostly for maintenance and safety checks, in the months since Fukushima.

"We have proved that it cannot be said that there would have been no crisis without the tsunami," Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a seismologist and panel member, said in the report.

The report pointed to numerous missed opportunities to take steps to prevent the disaster, citing lobbying by the nuclear power companies as well as a 'safety myth' mindset.

The report heavily criticized Tepco for putting cost-cutting steps ahead of safety as nuclear power became less profitable over the years.

--With ANI Inputs--