Court hearings began in Tokyo on Thursday in a lawsuit launched by six Japanese cancer patients against the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The plaintiffs claim that radiation exposure from the nuclear plant's multiple meltdowns caused them to develop thyroid cancer. They are seeking about $4.74 million U.S. dollars in compensation from TEPCO. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster was the worst nuclear power incident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.