Japan Marks 15th Anniversary of Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and Tsunami

Japan today commemorates the 15th anniversary of the devastating tsunami and nuclear disaster that struck the country on March 11, 2011. A 14-meter-high tsunami wave hit the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, severely damaging two nuclear power plants and triggering one of the world's worst nuclear accidents. The disaster, which followed a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off Japan's northeast coast, led to nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, forcing the evacuation of residents within a 20-kilometer radius and contaminating large areas of land and ocean.