PH embassy monitoring situation of Filipinos after 6.8 quake in Japan–DFA

This aerial view shows damaged roof tiles of residential houses in Tsuruoka, Yamagata prefecture, northwestern Japan, Wednesday, June 19, 2019, after an earthquake. (Kyodo News via AP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo is monitoring the situation and well-being of Filipinos in areas affected by the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that hit Yamagata Prefecture in northwestern Japan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

READ: Powerful quake jolts northwest Japan, tsunami warning issued 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the DFA said that both the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka have issued urgent advisories to Filipinos in affected areas.

“The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and the well-being of Filipinos in the area and is ready to assist as needed,” the DFA said.

“Both the Embassy and the Consulate General have also issued urgent advisories to Filipinos in the affected areas,” it added.

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Based on the data from the embassy, there are 815 registered Filipinos in Yamagata Prefecture.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the earthquake struck off the western coast of Yamagata about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the city of Sakata. It was fairly shallow, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) below the sea’s surface. Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 21 people were injured, most of them in Yamagata prefecture and that most injuries had minor injuries.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga urged residents to be prepared for possible aftershocks.

Tsuruoka city crisis management official Takehiko Takahashi said in a televised interview that city officials helped coastal residents evacuate to higher ground as a precaution before the tsunami warning was lifted.

More than 1,500 people took shelter at evacuation centers in Murakami city and elsewhere in Niigata prefecture, but many of them left Wednesday morning to check their homes. Public broadcaster NHK showed people using flattened cardboard boxes as mattresses to sleep on in a school gym. Many others, including children, were still awake and sitting against the walls. With a report from Associated Press