As the first day of the English year was a public holiday, Apu Sarkar was at home at 4:12 pm. He was eating. At such a time, first felt a gentle vibration. You may feel dizzy or sick. But within moments the entire two-story building shook. Glass of water, home fridge shook. Then he realized that there was an earthquake.
Bangladeshi expatriate Apu (35) lives in Fukaya city of Saitama prefecture in the northwest of Japan. He told Barta24.com that there is a shaking for about a minute. As I prepare to leave I feel another jolt. Immediately I got a warning message on my mobile that there is an earthquake and to move to a safe place quickly
He quickly left the house and went down the street. On the way, many people got down in panic.
Bangladeshi Apu is in engineering profession in Japan. He said, earthquakes in Japan are intertwined with life. A mild earthquake occurred three months ago. However, Apu has not seen such a terrible earthquake in the last three years.
There are no residential houses above 2 floors in Saitama Fukaya. However, some government buildings and commercial buildings have three floors.
He said that the Golden Week holiday is going on in the New Year. So the workplace is closed. All public life in Saitama Fukaya is going on normally. But many are saddened by the loss of relatives.
He also said that the things to be done during the earthquake are informed here from the workplace to all places. Even many earthquakes do not change the lifestyle or behavior of people. But this earthquake is different. We were very scared.
So far 48 people have been reported dead in Japan after the earthquake on the first day of the English New Year. However, no Bangladeshi casualties have been reported yet in the afternoon of January 1, 155 earthquakes were felt in different parts of the country.
The Japan Meteorological Department said the strongest earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale earthquake occurred in central Japan. The rescue work is still going on and the rescuers have to gain speed.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo has launched a helpline for Bangladeshi immigrants in Japan. The embassy reported that a 7.6-magnitude earthquake was felt in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture. In addition, Niigata, Taiyama, Yamagata, Fukui and Hyogo regions were also affected. Bangladesh Embassy, Tokyo is constantly monitoring the situation of Bangladeshi expatriates living in the region.
Until the emergency is lifted, Bangladeshi expatriates have been requested to inform the Embassy of the affected areas as soon as possible, along with the advice of staying in high and safe places according to the instructions of the local authorities.
Affected Bangladeshis are requested to contact the following 24/7 hotline numbers of the Embassy for emergency assistance. The contact numbers are 08040656601, 08043524795 and 09064837306.