Table 1 Timeline of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and associated hospital evacuation in 2011.

From: Long-term observation of mortality among inpatients evacuated from psychiatric hospitals in Fukushima prefecture following the Fukushima nuclear disaster

Date

Time

Event

March 11

02:46 PM

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan

A total of 11 units of the Fukushima Daiichi (and Daini) Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) automatically shut down

07:03 PM

"Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation" at the FDNPP was announced by the Japanese government

09:23 PM

Residents within a 3 km radius of the FDNPP were ordered to evacuate

March 12

05:44 AM

The evacuation zone was expanded to a radius of 10 km

The evacuation of some psychiatric hospital inpatients began

03:36 PM

A hydrogen explosion occurred at the FDNPP Unit 1

07:04 PM

The evacuation zone was expanded to a radius of 20 km

March 14

11:01 AM

A hydrogen explosion occurred at the FDNPP Unit 3

March 15

06:10 AM

The sound of an explosion resonated at the FDNPP Unit 2

09:40 PM

A fire broke out at the FDNPP Unit 4

Residents within a 20–30 km radius of the FDNPP were ordered to evacuate indoors