ANAA, March 11 (Saba) - Japan is commemorating the eighth anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunamis that hit northeastern Japan and caused a nuclear disaster at Fukushima Station, the worst since the Chernobyl accident in 1986.


A memorial ceremony will be held in the capital Tokyo and northeast Japan to commemorate 18,500 people who lost their lives after an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale caused a massive tsunami that devastated the region on March 11, 2011.


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also scheduled to take part in a ceremony in the capital alongside Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko, families and survivors.


The The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant suffered from the fusion of three of its six reactors, causing a nuclear disaster. The state of emergency has prompted hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes because of fears of radioactive contamination and a nuclear explosion.


AA
Saba