330 govt workers died on duty / Compensation claims made easier for surviving family members (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A total of 330 local government employees in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures were killed or went missing while on duty in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, according to an investigation by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Most of them were swept away by the colossal tsunami while at their offices, but quite a few apparently died while trying to lead local residents to safety.

Compensation for families of these civil servants is expected to reach record levels. Some local governments have applied or plan to apply for compensation collectively on behalf of families, considering how troublesome it would be for each family to have to prove their loved one was killed or went missing while on the job.

In Minami-Sanrikucho, Miyagi Prefecture, Takeshi Miura, 52, and Miki Endo, 24, were manning the public announcement system warning residents of the coming danger when the tsunami hit. Endo's body was found 40 days later but Miura is still unaccounted for. They belonged to the town's crisis management section.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110615006039.htm

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Miki Endo's story was discussed on DU in early April

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x819622

Her town, Minami Sanriku, was in a particularly difficult situation, as escape routes from the lower part of the town were severely restricted by a river, a train line, and a power outage which shut down the traffic light system. But even so, she was apparently able to alert a lot of people to get to a safer area in time.