Firefighters inspect collapsed wooden houses in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, 2024, a day after a major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in the prefecture in the afternoon. — AFP/VNA Photo

TOKYO — There had been no casualties among Vietnamese citizens recorded due to a recent earthquake in Japan as of 9pm on January 2, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, citing notifications from the National Police Agency of Japan.

Minister at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyễn Đức Minh said that right after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook central Japan on January 1, the embassy had promptly and actively updated information and informed the Vietnamese community on the situation.

The embassy set up hotlines for citizen protection, while forming a special working group to closely follow information, especially on the safety of Vietnamese people living, studying and working in localities affected by the earthquake.

The working group has kept a close contact with authorised agencies in affected localities of Japan as well as Vietnamese associations in these localities, thus updating information, guiding and supporting Vietnamese people, Minh said.

The diplomat said that the embassy has asked local authorities and Japanese businesses receiving Vietnamese labourers to make sure that Vietnamese citizens are moved to safe places and provide them with necessities, and give them instructions in Vietnamese when necessary.

The embassy has also sent a working group to the affected areas to meet with and assist Vietnamese citizens, he added.

Regarding the collision of a Japan Airlines plane on the evening of January 2 at Haneda Airport (Tokyo), the embassy also immediately contacted local authorities and to date there has been no Vietnamese people affected in this incident.

Underlining that the consequences of the earthquake were serious with aftershocks forecast to continue in the next few days, Ambassador Minh recommended that all Vietnamese citizens living, working and studying in Japan to regularly and closely update relevant notifications, comply with the instructions of Japanese authorities, and move to safe shelters designated by local authorities to receive assistance such as food, water, sleeping places, first aid and medical care, while staying calm and continuing to be vigilant with aftershocks in the coming days. In case of emergency, Vietnamese citizens can ask for support by contacting the following citizen protection numbers:

+ The Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo: +81-80-3590-9136, or +81-80-20346868, +81-90-1255-5537, or via email: vnconsular@vnembassy.jp, website: vnembassy-jp.org

+ The Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka: +81-90-4769-6789

+ The Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka: +81-92263-7668

Or contact points of the Vietnamese community in the nearest locality

Or phone numbers of local authorities where they are staying as follow:

+ Ishikawa Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0762251111; 

web: pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/saigai/202401jishin.html

+ Niigata Prefecture Risk Prevention Agency: 0252855511; 

web: pref.niigata.lg.jp/sec/kikitaisaku/jishin-20240101.html

+ Toyama Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0764314111; 

web: pref.toyama.jp/1900/bousaianzen/noto_jishin20240102.html

+ Fukui Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0776211111; 

web: pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/kikitaisaku/ishikawanotojishin.html. — VNS