Three officials in charge of nuclear power safety and policy in Japan have been sacked amid the ongoing crisis the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
The government says they will be held responsible for mishandling the plant and its problems.
The plant was crippled following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami on 11 March in northeast Japan.
Nearly five months on, workers are still trying to bring the reactors under control and this week the highest levels of radiation yet have been detected, the BBC reports.
Those sacked are the head of the nuclear safety agency, Nobuaki Terasaka, the head of the agency for natural resources and energy, Tetsuhiro Hosono, and the vice-minister for economy, trade and industry, Kazuo Matsunaga.
Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda, who played a key role in handling the crisis, has also said he plans to resign to take responsibility but has not indicated when.
The sackings came a day after parliament approved a plan to set up a new fund to help the Tokyo Electric Power Company compensate people affected by the crisis.
About 80,000 people living with 20km of the nuclear plant have been forced to abandon their homes. Farmers and other business owners further afield have been ruined.
Claims are expected to run into billions of dollars.
