48,000 Remain Evacuated 9 Years after March 11 Disasters

Tokyo, March 10 (Jiji Press)--A total of 47,737 people remained evacuated as of Feb. 10, nearly nine years after a massive earthquake and tsunami struck the Tohoku northeastern region and triggered a devastating nuclear accident. The number of people living away from their homes due to the March 11, 2011, disasters was down some 4,000 from a year before, the Reconstruction Agency said. Tsunami-ravaged Pacific coastal areas have seen towns rebuilt and reconstruction projects including those to build seawalls and roads under way. In the areas severely affected by the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 plant, in the meantime, not many evacuees have returned even after evacuation advisories were removed. There is room for improvement in living conditions, including hospitals and commercial facilities. Japan has only one year to go in the government-set reconstruction period. The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, which Japan has promoted as the events to show that the affected areas are recovering, will be held this summer. Ceremonies have been held every anniversary in affected areas to remember the victims, but this year things are different because of the new coronavirus. The government-sponsored annual memorial ceremony in Tokyo was canceled to stop a further spread of the virus. Local governments in coastal areas also have either canceled or scaled back their commemorative ceremonies. The death toll from the earthquake and tsunami stood at 15,899 in 12 prefectures and 2,529 people remained unaccounted for in six prefectures as of March 1, according to the National Police Agency. Including those who died from related causes, such as worsening of injuries suffered in the disasters, the number of deaths topped 22,200. The number of people who lived in makeshift prefabricated housing units in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures came to 709 as of the end of January, down by 2,700 from a year before, said the prefectures, which were hit hardest by the disasters. More than 29,000 units of public housing for affected people have been built, nearly reaching the planned total, the Reconstruction Agency said. In Fukushima, East Japan Railway Co. <9020> will resume services between Tomioka and Namie stations on the Joban Line on Saturday, following the lifting of evacuation advisories in parts of the towns of Futaba, Okuma and Tomioka. END