A Tokyo Electric Power Co. executive apologized Tuesday to citizens who have been evacuated from Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, since the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a crisis at a nuclear power plant located in Okuma and neighboring Futaba.

Executive Vice President Norio Tsuzumi made the apology when he visited a gymnasium in Tamura in the prefecture where the citizens including Okuma Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe have stayed since they were ordered to leave their town due to the crisis at the power utility's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

''We are sorry to have caused you too much trouble,'' the TEPCO executive told the evacuees