Fukushima Executives Charged With Negligence in Nuclear Meltdown

Three former executives with the operator of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant have been charged with negligence for failing to prevent multiple meltdowns at the tsunami-struck facility.

 

Court-appointed lawyers indicted Tsunehisa Katsumata, chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) at the time of the disaster, along with former vice presidents Sakae Muto and Ichiro Takekuro, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday.

 

A combination photo shows former TEPCO executives Tsunehisa Katsumata (left), Ichiro Takekuro (center) and Sakae Muto. KYODO / Reuters
Several government reports have pointed to a lack of a safety culture and weak risk management at the utility, including underestimating tsunami threats leading up to the March 12, 2011, crisis.

 

A 2012 parliamentary probe described the meltdowns as a “man-made disaster,” citing shortcomings with not only with the utility company but also with the nation’s nuclear regulators.

 

Read More: Fukushima Executives Charged With Negligence in Nuclear Meltdown – NBC News