Last year's nuclear disaster in Japan was "clearly man-made," an independent investigation commission said Thursday as it harshly criticized the government and plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), DPA reported.
The world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster "was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and TEPCO and the lack of governance by said parties," the commission said.
They failed to develop "the most basic safety requirements" and "effectively betrayed the nation's right to be safe from nuclear accidents," it found. "Therefore, we conclude that the accident was clearly 'man-made.'"
The TEPCO-run Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station went into meltdown after it was struck by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Tens of thousands of nearby residents were forced to evacuate and have not been able to return.
"The direct causes of the accident were all foreseeable prior to March 11," the commission said. The plant was "incapable of withstanding the earthquake and tsunami that hit on that day," it found.
The commission blamed TEPCO, the regulatory bodies - the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and the Nuclear Safety Commission - and the Industry Ministry promoting the nuclear power industry.
Among the safety measures they were accused of neglecting to carry out were assessing the probability of damage, preparing for containing collateral damage from a disaster and developing evacuation plans for the public.
The commission - led by Kiyoshi Kurokawa, former president of the Science Council of Japan - included medical doctors, scientists, a seismologist and a local business leader.
Their findings were released on the same day that a reactor at the Oi Nuclear Power Plant in western Japan started producing electricity, the first reactor in the country to restart since the Fukushima disaster, which increased public opposition to atomic power.
Japan regained nuclear-generated electricity as the unit, operated by Kansai Electric Power Co, was connected to the generator and transmission grid.
The remaining 49 reactors across the country remained idle. Utilities have been unable to restart them because of public fears of nuclear power.