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Published time: 20 Oct, 2015
Japan’s Labor Ministry has confirmed the first case of cancer connected with radiation poisoning for a former Fukushima employee, national broadcaster NHK reported.
The ex-employee has been diagnosed with leukemia, with radiation exposure determined as the cause of the disease. The former employee participated in the recovery and clean-up operation at the facility after the meltdown following a strong earthquake in March 2011. The worker was in his late 30s at the time of the disaster.
"The case has met the criteria" to connect his disease to the 2011 operation, the official told a Tokyo news briefing, adding that other possible causes have been ruled out.
The man’s treatment will be paid for and he has been awarded compensation for loss of income. No exact amount has been disclosed.