Vietnamese students in earthquake-stricken Japan collect rainwater to cook rice.

Facing water shortages and food scarcity, a Vietnamese male student studying abroad had to rely on rainwater to cook rice after strong earthquakes near the city of Kumamoto in southern Japan.

Broken bricks and stones lie scattered near Do Van Giap's residence. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

At 1:25 AM on April 16th, Do Thao Linh, 27, a master's student at Kumatomo University, was awakened from her sleep by the shaking. The shaking was so strong that items on the shelves fell to the floor, and her bed shifted about 20 cm from its original position, she said. Linh's house is located in the western part of Kumatomo City, Kumatomo Prefecture, on Kyushu Island in southern Japan.

Unlike during the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred 28 hours earlier, Linh was not caught off guard this time and had planned ahead to prepare for a worst-case scenario.She slept right next to a kotatsu table, a low, warm Japanese-style table, ready to take shelter under if an earthquake struck, and also prepared a few essential items to take with her.

However, Linh believes that many Japanese and Vietnamese people were also complacent, not expecting it to be "so fast and strong" this time. Many of Linh's Vietnamese friends didn't even have time to put on their shoes before running outside."It's shaking so much that if you stand up you'll fall," she told.VnExpressThe epicenter of the second earthquake was located right in the center of the city, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, stronger than the first, and shallower.

Linh crawled under the table, but just then the power went out. She used her cell phone to turn on the flashlight, grabbed her bag and jacket, and put on her slippers to find her way out. Downstairs, she stepped over a pile of broken dishes, switched off the circuit breaker, and met everyone else who was also running down.

Several strong aftershocks followed shortly afterward, and they decided to evacuate to a nearby middle school, a 10-minute walk away."Everyone was silent, only the sounds of helicopters, fire trucks, police, and cars could be heard," Linh recounted.

She said everyoneThey all traveled in groups of two or more, knew where they needed to go and what they needed to do, so they were quite calm. As they went, they tried to contact acquaintances, ask about the situation, and inform them of their destination.

Officials said at least 42 people died and nearly 1,100 were injured in two earthquakes that rocked the area near Kumamoto city, just 28 hours apart, last week.

Nine people died in the first earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, while 33 died in the second, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale. Ten people remain missing. Geologists now believe the first earthquake was a foreshock leading to the earthquakes on April 17.

Collecting rainwater to cook rice.

A water tank used for cooking rice. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

While Linh lived in the western part of the city and wasn't required to evacuate, Do Van Giap, 25, from Thai Binh province, lived right in the city center and spent each night at a primary school.It was built to withstand earthquakes.

"There are about 2,000 people in my place, both Japanese and Vietnamese. Almost everyone has to sleep very close together and maintain social distancing, which is why there are so many people," Giáp said.

Giap's house is located near the centuries-old Kumamoto Castle, which was severely damaged by the earthquake. A few houses away, Giap took a photograph of the rubble and debris scattered by the earthquake.

A computer science student at Coto Japanese Language School, who works part-time at a restaurant, has been in the city for two years, but this is the first time he's witnessed earthquakes as strong as this.

Although some have returned home, approximately 110,000 people are evacuated to 100 centers, and the Japanese government is working to distribute food and blankets to residents. However, around 250,000 households remain without water, 100,000 without gas, and 39,000 without electricity in Kumamoto.

Giáp said that the area where he lives did not experience a power outage, but there was a water shortage, and the water that was distributed or purchased was only for drinking.

"It's unbelievable. I haven't showered for three days. Yesterday I even had to use the little rainwater I had to cook rice," Giáp said. He added that the lesson learned is to always be prepared, stock up on old water bottles, refill them with fresh water, and keep a supply of dry food.

Empty shelves at a convenience store in Kumamoto Prefecture. Photo: Kyodo

According toTelegraphFood shortages have also been reported throughout the region."It's normally very convenient here; if you want to eat something, you can go to a bento shop, a 24-hour convenience store, or a supermarket to buy ready-made meals or bento boxes. But..."After the earthquake, everyone bought food, so everything ran out."Shops and supermarkets are closed, or if they are open, you can only buy a few dry food items like instant noodles, bread, and rice balls," Linh said.

Giap's friend planned to fly to Tokyo to visit his girlfriend but couldn't because Kumamoto airport was closed. The bullet train also stopped operating. Yesterday, US military forces began participating in relief efforts alongside Japan in the earthquake-affected area.

Linh and Giáp are two of more than 1,600 Vietnamese people living, working, and studying in Kumamoto Prefecture, according to Vietnamese officials.nVietnamese people are mainly concentrated in the cities of Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Tamanashi, and the town of Nagabuchi in this prefecture.

"A typical international student's life is going to school in the morning and working part-time in the evening.""Now both going to school and working part-time are canceled, and even if people did go, they wouldn't dare," she added. Both Linh and Giáp's schools have given students time off.During interviews, they all reported feeling new aftershocks. They stated that the situation was currently "unknown."

According to VNE