No Bangladeshi affected by 6.1 quake in Japan

No Bangladeshis were reported to have been affected by the strong earthquake that hit the Japanese city of Osaka during morning rush yesterday.

“The Embassy has established contact with Bangladesh nationals living in the affected areas. No Bangladeshis have been reported to be affected by the earthquake,” said a press release of Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo.

The Embassy has set up a hotline (080-40656601 or 808-44561971) with a view to gather and disseminate information related to the earthquake.

All Bangladesh nationals living in the affected areas were requested to be cautious and contact through the hotlines for any earthquake related information and assistance.

The 6.1-magnitude  earthquake shook Osaka, Japan's second-biggest metropolis, early yesterday, killing three people, halting factory lines in an industrial area and bursting water mains, government and company officials said.

No tsunami warning was issued. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said authorities were assessing damage and their top priority was the safety of residents. About 150 people were injured, the broadcaster NHK said, lowering an earlier toll after a revision by city officials.

Live footage showed toppled walls, broken windows and gushing burst water mains after the quake hit Osaka, which will host next year's Group of 20 summit, just before 8:00 am as commuters were heading to work.

Quakes are common in Japan, part of the seismically active "Ring of Fire" that stretches from the South Pacific through Indonesia and Japan, across to Alaska and down the west coast of North, Central and South America.

The epicentre of yesterday's earthquake was just north of Osaka city at a depth of 13 km (8 miles), said the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency originally put the magnitude at 5.9 but later raised it to 6.1.

The quake struck an important industrial area of central Japan.

Osaka-based Panasonic said it was halting production at three of its plants. Daihatsu Motor Co, a unit of Toyota Motor Corp, stopped its factories in Osaka and Kyoto while it checked for damage.