Tokyo, March 11 || Japan on Tuesday marks the 14th anniversary since a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the nation in 2011, triggering a nuclear accident that continues to affect the region.
Attending a memorial service hosted by Fukushima Prefecture, where the crippled Daiichi nuclear power complex is located, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba offered his condolences and pledged to make Japan a world leader in disaster prevention, local media reported.
"We will leverage our experience from the disaster to implement thorough disaster preparedness and strengthen our response system," Ishiba said.
When the triple disasters struck 14 years ago, scores of people were forced from their homes. The disaster-prone nation has since taken steps to be better prepared for natural calamities, including the handling of evacuations and rebuilding the affected areas, News reported.
On March 11, 2011, Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami of unprecedented proportions. The Great East Japan Earthquake was measured at a magnitude 9.0, the largest ever recorded in Japan's history.
The earthquake and the resulting tsunami struck the Pacific coast of the Tohoku and Kanto regions with such devastating force that it dramatically changed the face of the seaside landscape.
During that year, the number of dead and missing as a result of the earthquake was reported to be approximately 20,000 people, with over 350,000 homes and other buildings completely or partially destroyed.