Japan marks 12 years since 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster

Japan marks 12 years since 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster

Tokyo residents offer prayers and observe a minute of silence on the anniversary of the deadly tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The 9.0-magnitude quake -- the fourth strongest in Earth's recorded history -- devastated northeastern Japan 12 years ago.

The undersea quake unleashed a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing and overwhelmed cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, leading to the worst nuclear catastrophe since Chernobyl.

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