French experts to meet Tahiti nuke compo claimants

3:25 pm on 23 April 2019

Two experts from France have been sent to French Polynesia to meet 36 victims of the nuclear weapons tests claiming compensation.

View of the advanced recording base PEA "Denise" on Moruroa atoll, where French forces have conducted nuclear weapon tests until 1996.

Remnants of the testing infrastructure on Moruroa atoll Photo: AFP

The week-long mission has been ordered by the head of the French compensation commission who asked the French Polynesian government to help get in touch with the claimants.

Tahiti-infos reported that during this week one expert will be in Tahiti while the other will see claimants in Maupiti, Raiatea, Huahine and Fakarava.

France tested 193 nuclear weapons in the South Pacific over a 30-year period, with some of the atmospheric blasts irradiating most islands.

Although Paris for the first recognised a decade ago that the tests could have affected people's health, most applications for compensation have to date been rejected.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs