Japanese authorities have reopened the town of Naraha, which was evacuated in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered a series of meltdowns due to a massive earthquake and tsunami. Japan is inviting residents to return to Naraha, a town evacuated in 2011. Naraha is the first town to allow people to return permanently, following several years of decontamination work. But many are not ready to come back, and only a fraction have returned.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered a series of meltdowns following a massive earthquake and tsunami. After the disaster, all of Naraha’s 7,400 residents moved out. The town is situated about 20km (12 miles) south of the nuclear plant.

Some 100,000 people in the area are still unable to return to their homes. Authorities in Naraha are issuing people with devices to check radiation levels and have been rebuilding local services, including shops and clinics.

What happened?

• One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Japan in March 2011, triggering a huge tsunami.
• Almost 16,000 people died and more than 2,500 are still listed as missing in the event.
• None of the deaths however were linked to the nuclear contamination following the incident, but there were a number of deaths in the subsequent evacuation.

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