567 Taiwanese stranded in Japan earthquake zone

567名台灣人滯留日本地震災區

18 tour groups, more than 20 independent Taiwanese travelers are currently stuck


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reported that 567 Taiwanese tourists are currently stuck in areas of Japan impacted by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck on Monday (Jan. 1).

According to MOFA, the quake hit off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday afternoon, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more. Several residential buildings have reportedly caught fire or collapsed, numerous roads have been damaged, and airports in the region have announced closures.

More than 30,000 households in Ishikawa Prefecture and 1,100 homes in Niigata Prefecture are without power. Water supply disruptions have been reported in various areas and 116 evacuation shelters have been set up to accommodate residents seeking refuge.

Taiwan's representative office in Osaka has contacted various travel agencies and received reports on the status of Taiwanese travelers. Colatour reported five groups with 147 people, Lion Travel reported eight groups with 240 people, Richmond Tours reported three groups with 100 people, and Star Travel reported two groups with 60 people.

Altogether, there were 18 tour groups with a total of 547 people, who were all safe. The representative office in Osaka said it would provide necessary assistance to Taiwanese upon request at any time.

In addition, there are more than 20 independent Taiwanese travelers who were scheduled to take a Tigerair flight from Niigata Airport to return to Taiwan on Monday but found themselves stuck at the airport as it was closed after the earthquake.

The representative office said it has assisted in coordinating with Tigerair to provide blankets and other cold-weather supplies. Once the access roads to Niigata Airport are reopened, representatives from the office will visit the airport to assist Taiwanese citizens in transferring to Tokyo Airport.

The situation in some quake-affected areas is still not completely clear. The ministry said its offices stay in close contact with relevant Japanese authorities and provide the latest information to Taiwanese overseas.

If Taiwanese in the affected areas need assistance, they are asked to contact the representative offices in Japan. The emergency contact numbers of the representative office in Tokyo are +81-80-1009-7179 and +81-90-8794-4568 in Osaka.

In addition, the National Fire Agency has formed a search and rescue team and is prepared to go to Japan. MOFA has informed Japanese authorities that the Taiwanese team is ready to assist in rescue efforts as needed by the Japanese side.