TOKYO: No Vietnamese nationals have been reported killed, injured or seriously affected by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan on the afternoon of July 28, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in the country.
The embassy has swiftly activated its monitoring and community support efforts following the earthquake.
Tran Vu, second secretary and head of the labour management office at the embassy, said the office contacted labour unions and host companies in Kumamoto, Nagasaki and nearby areas immediately after the earthquake to assess the situation.
About 1,330 Vietnamese workers and trainees are employed in those localities, he said, adding that no casualties or serious damage have been reported so far.
Updates from the Vietnamese student community indicated that students in Kumamoto and nearby areas, including Fukuoka and Kyushu, remain safe. They are staying in close contact with one another to monitor the situation.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi chaired a meeting of the disaster response taskforce at the prime minister's office later that evening.
She said the earthquake had caused significant damage, including casualties, collapsed homes and damage to transport infrastructure. — Vietnam News/ANN
