At the sports hall of a school in Wakura Onsen city, Ishikawa, where Vietnamese workers seek shelter after the earthquake. (Photo: VNA)The Public Interest Foundation International Manpower Development Organization ( IM Japan ) has affirmed the safety of all Vietnamese interns under its management who are working in Toyama, Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures that were hit by the massive earthquake on January 1.The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan also stated that as of 5pm January 2 (Japan time) there had been no report on any Vietnamese casualties in the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, adding that all groups of Vietnamese connected by the embassy had confirmed their safety and most of them had returned home after spending a night at shelters.According to Phan Tien Hoang, First Secretary and head of the labour management board of the embassy, on the evening of January 1, the board provided evacuation addresses for Vietnamese nationals living in Niigata, Ishikawa and Toyama. All Vietnamese living near the quake's epicenter were safely relocated to shelters where they were provided with necessary supplies, he said, adding that most of them returned home on the next day's morning. However, due to aftershocks in the afternoon, triggering tsunami alerts, authorities in some places have urged residents to return to evacuation centres.The labour management board said it has been keeping contact with labour unions and employers hiring Vietnamese to confirm the group's safety and provide assistance for them when needed.The embassy, meanwhile, emphasised that it is maintaining close contact with local authorities, relevant agencies, and representatives of Vietnamese communities in severely affected areas, ready to carry out citizen protection work if necessary./.
