Japan: Thousands of foreigners in fear of earthquake

About 4,500 foreigners live in Kumamoto City. The city's international center is being used as an evacuation center for foreigners.

There are about 4,500 foreigners in Kumamoto who are very worried about the earthquake.

Mr. Yagi Hiromitsu, of the Kumamoto International Foundation, who runs the center, said:

Foreigners are increasingly worried because of the frequent aftershocks. Among the foreigners, there are people from Bangladesh and Tanzania, who are staying in the center because they dare not stay at home. Many foreigners are asking if there is any way to leave Kumamoto?

We are collecting and providing them with information about transportation services, such as railways, airlines...

Some embassies and consulates from countries such as Laos, the Philippines, and the United States also contacted us. They said that their tourists were in other evacuation centers, asking them where to take shelter, because the evacuation centers were full of Japanese people and there was no more room. We helped these tourists find other nearby shelters.

The biggest problem right now is food. The Kumamoto International Center cannot provide food because it is not an evacuation facility recognized by the city government. We are hoping to receive help from other prefectures in the form of ready-to-eat food.

According to NHK World