Ten years ago, an earth-shattering magnitude nine earthquake sent a 15-metre tsunami crashing through the sea wall of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, disabling the power supply and cooling of three reactors, and triggering a nuclear meltdown.

The chemical explosions that ensued sent radioactive material leaking into the atmosphere and Pacific Ocean, creating what is known as the second-worst nuclear calamity in history, behind the Chernobyl disaster 25 years earlier.