Miyagi Pref. also to appeal 1.4 billion yen damages ruling over school tsunami deaths
(Mainichi Japan)
SENDAI -- The Miyagi Prefectural Government is set to appeal a ruling ordering the prefecture and the city of Ishinomaki to pay more than 1.4 billion yen in damages to the families of elementary school children who died in the March 2011 tsunami.
The prefecture made the decision on Oct. 31 after deeming that some parts of the ruling handed down by the Sendai District Court on Oct. 26 are unacceptable.
"There are parts of the prefectural government's arguments that were not recognized. The prefecture will act in concert with the municipal government," Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai told a regular news conference on Oct. 31.
On the previous day, the Ishinomaki Municipal Government submitted to the municipal assembly a proposal to appeal the ruling to a higher court, and the assembly approved it.
The prefectural and municipal governments are expected to appeal the ruling by the Nov. 9 deadline.
In its ruling, the Sendai District Court ordered the Ishinomaki Municipal Government and the Miyagi Prefectural Government to pay more than 1.4 billion yen in compensation to the bereaved families of 23 students at city-run Okawa Elementary School who died or went missing in the tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. They were among 74 students and 10 school staff who were swept away in the tsunami.
