Japan quakes & tsunami warnings: Indian embassy issues emergency contact numbers for its citizens

THE Indian embassy in Japan has issued emergency contact numbers for its citizens in the Far eastern archipelago after the country's central part was hit by a series of powerful earthquakes on Monday (1).

The embassy also set up a control room for Indian citizens to contact for help.

At least 21 earthquakes rocked Japan in a span of an hour and half during the day. While all tremors measured above four on the Richter Scale, the most powerful one measured 7.6, official sources said.

The following are the emergency numbers that Indians are urged to connect to for any assistance:

+81-80-3930-1715 (Mr Yakub Topno)

+81-70-1492-0049 (Mr Ajay Sethi)

+81-80-3214-4734 (Mr D.N. Barnwal)

+81-80-6229-5382 (Mr S. Bhattacharya)

+81-80-3214-4722 (Mr Vivek Rathee)

Besides, the following email IDs can also be contacted:

sscons.tokyo@mea.gov.in

offfseco.tokyo@mea.gov.in

Authorities in Japan issued tsunami alerts and asked people to evacuate seaside areas following the quakes. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa in central-western Japan and lower-level tsunami warnings for the rest of the western coast of Honshu, the country's main island.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK TV said torrents of water could be as high as five metres and appealed to people to get to higher land or top of nearby buildings.

Japan's nuclear regulator Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities were noticed at nuclear power plants following the quakes and warnings of possible tsunamis, reported NucNet.

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida told the media that he had ordered a search and asked the rescue teams to do everything possible to save lives.

(With agency inputs)