The nuclear accident at Fukushima last year was a “man-made disaster” and not only due to the tsunami, a Japanese parliamentary panel said today in its final report on the catastrophe.
“Government, regulatory authorities and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) lacked a sense of responsibility to protect people’s lives and society,” said a summary of the report by the Diet’s Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission.
“According to this commission’s study, on March 11, it is believed that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was in a vulnerable condition with no guarantee that it could withstand earthquakes and tsunamis,” the report said.
“Despite having a number of opportunities to take measures, regulatory agencies and TEPCO management deliberately postponed decisions and did not take action. They took decisions that were convenient for themselves,” it added.