Ishinomaki to appeal 1.4 bil. yen damages ruling over school tsunami deaths

ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- The municipal government here is set to appeal a ruling that ordered the city and the prefecture to pay more than 1.4 billion yen in damages to the families of elementary school children who died in a massive tsunami in 2011, sources close to the city said.

The municipal government notified those close to the city assembly of the decision on Oct. 28.

The Sendai District Court ordered the Ishinomaki Municipal Government and the Miyagi Prefectural Government on Oct. 26 to pay more than 1.4 billion yen in compensation to the bereaved families of 23 of students at Okawa Elementary School who lost their lives to the tsunami generated by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. The court held the school responsible for the deaths, pointing out that teachers led the students to an inappropriate location instead of a mountain behind the school, which would have been safer.

In the disaster, 84 students, teachers and other staffers at the school died after being hit by the huge tsunami.