Yesterday (Jan 1), a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Japan at 3.10pm Malaysian time, where it sent buildings shaking, roads cracked wide open, and tsunami warnings being issued out.
For four Malaysian students celebrating New Year there, their excitement took a worrying turn after they experienced tremors that lasted longer than usual.
M’sian share panicked experience after earthquake strikes Japan
Speaking to Harian Metro, Muhammad Mukmin Muhamad Faris said he and his four friends were celebrating New Year at a restaurant near an R&R in Niigata when the earthquake suddenly struck.
“Initially, we thought it was just another ‘normal’ earthquake as we have gone through several time during our time in Japan.
Usually, the tremor was brief and lasted less than a minute. But this time, it lasted over a minute so we panicked.
“We were expecting the situation to calm down once the earthquake warning passed but then there was a tsunami warning.Â
“Alhamdulillah, all of us are safe though we felt a strong tremor because Niigata is close to Ishikawa, the epicentre of the earthquake, where it’s reported that many houses have collapsed and caught fire,” he said.
According to Muhammad Mukmin, he and his friends are staying at a hotel in Niigata for the time being as they await further instructions from the authorities.
“The five of us took a car from our home in Utsunomiya Tochigi to explore and enjoy the snow. According to our original plan, we intended to stay overnight in the city.
“Moreover, we still have a week left of our holidays, but now, we don’t know how long we’ll be here as nearby roads have been closed for safety purposes,” he said.
Muhammad Mukmin added the hotel they’re currently staying at has also become a relocation centre for affected residents.
Following the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami alert for the Noto area and advised residents to evacuate. Similar warnings were also issued for the Niigata, Toyama, and Ishikawa regions along the Sea of Japan coastline.
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