12 Years On: Fukushima Aiming to Lead Drone Use in Disasters

Fukushima, March 1 (Jiji Press)--Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan, hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, is aiming to become a leader in drone use in disaster response.

All 12 fire departments in Fukushima have established schemes for operating drones at sites affected by typhoons, earthquakes and other disasters.

The prefecture also created Japan's largest test flight facility for the development of advanced drones.

According to the prefectural government's fire and safety division, the 12 fire departments had either acquired drones or concluded agreements with private-sector drone operators by October 2020.

The move to utilize drones picked up momentum following Typhoon Hagibis in 2019, which caused the deaths of 40 people in the prefecture, including those by related causes.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]