Atsufumi Yoshizawa, a nuclear engineer at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, has described the moment a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck, triggering a tsunami that led to the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Dressed in his work jacket, the 54-year-old said he was certain he would not flee and would not die.
On 11 March 2011, Yoshizawa was about to end his shift when the earthquake hit. He took cover under a desk and watched parked cars bounce from the force. He joined thousands of workers on site, but his immediate concern was for colleagues whose families lived near the plant.
After the shaking, Yoshizawa gathered in an earthquake-proof room where news arrived that a far larger tsunami than predicted had struck. The wave, higher than the seawall, crippled backup power supplies, plunging the plant into darkness and disabling cooling systems for four reactors.
Yoshizawa noted that the two reactors under his control were already in cold shutdown, but the others suffered meltdowns. He dismissed heroism, saying he simply did his duty. The Fukushima 50, as the workers were known, risked their lives to prevent greater catastrophe, yet many remain anonymous fearing public backlash.
