Vietnamese Embassy in Japan issues tsunami warning for expats

THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam's embassy in Japan on July 30 issued an urgent tsunami warning for Vietnamese citizens following a powerful offshore earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

The embassy urged those along the Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to Wakayama, to locate designated evacuation sites and move to higher ground immediately and strictly follow the instructions of local authorities.

The alert was issued after the Japan Meteorological Agency reported possible tsunami waves up to 3 meters high.

Japan later upgraded its advisory to a warning and ordered the evacuation of over 1.9 million people in 21 prefectures, particularly in Hokkaido, Kanagawa, and Wakayama.

Tsunami waves measuring 50 cm were recorded at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture, 40 cm at Tokachi Port, and 30 cm at Erimo Town in Hokkaido Prefecture. At Sendai Airport in northeastern Japan, multiple runways were shut down and several flights were delayed or rerouted. According to the local tourism association, tourists at Oarai Beach (Ibaraki Prefecture) were also evacuated.

Tran Duc Hai, a 23-year-old Vietnamese man, was found face down 10 meters offshore and later died at the hospital. Despite prior tsunami warnings issued by local authorities, he had gone swimming.

The embassy continues to closely monitor the situation and stands ready to provide emergency support to Vietnamese citizens as needed.