Japanese Court Reportedly Dismisses Fukushima Victims' Lawsuits Against Government

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Japan's Supreme Court dismissed on Friday four class-action lawsuits brought against the government over the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, but ordered the power plant's operator to pay 1.4 billion yen ($10.5 million) damages to victims, the Kyodo news agency reported.

The lawsuits filed by residents of Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, and Aichi prefectures insisted that the Japanese government could have predicted a large tsunami based on 2002 studies and could therefore have instructed the plant's operator — Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) — to take appropriate measures, according to the news agency.

The top court reportedly found that the earthquake of March 11, 2011, and the height of the tsunami had greatly exceeded all forecasts. Moreover, even if the authorities had given some instructions to TEPCO, it was unlikely the accident could have been avoided, the court said, as cited by the media outlet.

TEPCO, however, was still found liable and was ordered to pay over 1.4 billion yen in damages in the lawsuit.

A total of 3,700 Japanese citizens were involved in the four class-action lawsuits, however, around 30 such lawsuits have been filed across the country, according to Kyodo.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility experienced core meltdowns as a result of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. The accident became the worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl crisis, leading to massive radiation exposure and contamination of surrounding lands and waters.