Japan Earthquake: Vietnamese People Rush to Find Shelter, Helicopters Fly Around
Báo Dân trí•03/01/2024
(Dan Tri) - After the strong earthquake on the afternoon of January 1 in Japan, many Vietnamese people quickly fled to find shelter in schools.
After the 7.6-magnitude earthquake on the afternoon of January 1, Dinh Chieu (living in Ishigawa prefecture) went online to find a shelter. Knowing that schools in Japan would be open for people to take shelter in case of an incident, he went to a school near his home. The two-story school could accommodate about 100 people. Blankets and mats were prepared there. "I ran out of the house, only having time to bring the most important things: my passport and identification papers, some water and instant noodles," Chieu recalled. The Vietnamese man said he started feeling strong tremors at 4:10 p.m. (2:10 p.m. Vietnam time), and things in his house were scattered everywhere. "An hour after the earthquake, I still felt nauseous," he said, adding that he had not immediately thought of taking shelter because he thought this earthquake was as small as usual. The situation became serious when Mr. Chieu saw people around him running outside to check the situation. Loudspeakers sounded continuously, and helicopters flew around the area where he lived, 900 meters from the sea, in anticipation of a tsunami. Chieu and his friends rested at school for about 2 hours, then left when the authorities announced that there was no tsunami. When he returned home, aftershocks continued to occur. At 12 noon on January 2, a mild earthquake continued to shake the city where he lives. "Japan issued an earthquake warning for another 5 days. This is the biggest earthquake I have experienced in the 5 years I have lived here," he said. While cooking, Ms. Tran Linh (living in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture) discovered a strong earthquake and a tsunami warning. Unable to react in time, she ran outside with the Japanese to a school near her house. The 4th and 5th floors of the school were full of people. In addition to local residents, neighboring companies also brought interns to take shelter. In the photo is a school where Ms. Tran Linh took refuge. "The union announced that there would be another big earthquake, advised me not to go out, prepare some essential items such as: passport, residence card, cash, food and water, ready for any evacuation situation," the Vietnamese girl said. Quynh An, who lives in Noto, the epicenter of the earthquake, said that many roads near her house have sunk and cracked, and houses have collapsed. At present, fire trucks and ambulances are still continuously blaring their sirens as they move to the heavily damaged areas. In the photo is a scene of devastation at a hotel. Due to the impact of the earthquake, the water pipeline system was affected, many places had no drinking water and domestic water. On the morning of January 2, Quynh An took the opportunity to cycle to the supermarket 2km from her house to buy water and essential items. The scene inside the supermarket was still affected by the earthquake, with goods falling everywhere. "Aftershocks continued to appear, making me and my housemates extremely worried. Luckily, we were still on holiday so we didn't have to move much," the young girl said. The phones of Le Tuan Anh (29 years old) and Kim Chi (30 years old, both living in Ishikawa province) continuously rang with earthquake and tsunami warnings on the afternoon of January 1. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that "strong tremors are coming, please stay calm and seek shelter near you". In a tsunami warning, they asked people to "immediately evacuate coastal and riverside areas to a safer location". Tuan Anh was shocked to see large cracks appearing on the roads near his house, and the beach less than 500m from his house suddenly became "angry". Train lines quickly stopped operating until further notice. Do Phuong (26 years old, living in Nakanoto town, Ishikawa prefecture) also rushed out, only having time to bring her personal documents, when the terrible earthquake occurred. The area where the Vietnamese girl lived was at the epicenter of the earthquake in Noto, Ishikawa prefecture, causing some surrounding houses to be severely damaged.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan has issued a notice to protect citizens in areas affected by earthquakes and tsunamis in coastal provinces of Japan. Accordingly, the embassy recommends that Vietnamese citizens living in areas where the earthquake and tsunami are forecast to occur should comply with warning measures from Japan and quickly evacuate to a safe place. In case of emergency, citizens should contact the citizen protection hotline or the nearest local Vietnamese community contact point. + Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo: +81-80-3590-9136, or +81-80-20346868, +81-90-1255-5537 + Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka: +81-90-4769-6789 + Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka: +81-92263-7668
Comment (0)