Bolpur: A day after a powerful earthquake wrecked havoc in Japan, people are still in panic as large areas remain without power and water supply, a professor of Visva-Bharati, who is currently in Tokyo for research said.
In a video call from Tokyo, Prof Sudipta Das told ETV Bharat that he and his family are safe but the conditions in the coastal areas are very bad. Around 33,000 homes in Japan are without electricity and water while over 5,000 people have been evacuated, he said. Prof. Das, a resident of Bolpur, is in the capital with his wife and newborn child.
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of north-central Japan on the first day of 2024. After which, the Japanese government issued a tsunami warning, especially in the western coastal region of the country. Presently, people are being evacuated from the coastal area. So far, nearly 40 people have died in the earthquake.
Prof. Das said that a new tsunami warning has been issued for Toyama and Miyazaki. "The tide is still rising up to about 80 cm. Many people were injured and admitted to the hospital. In addition, there was a fire in the town of Wajima on Ishikawa Island," he said.
According to the Visva-Bharati professor people are still in panic. "The Indian Embassy has given us a helpline number. The Japanese government is also trying to normalise the situation quickly. We felt some mild tremors several times today as well. As the schools and colleges were closed for the New Year, many lives were saved else there would have been greater damage. I am in touch with my family and friends back in India, who are concerned about our wellbeing," he said.
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