Students here in desperate bid to contact families
Saki Takemoto, 21, and Chikako Kinoshita, 20, both managed to speak by phone to relatives early yesterday who told them the monster earthquake was the largest in living memory.
They were assured that everyone is safe. But they have yet to speak to their parents. Phone lines are down and text messages are not getting through.
Saki and Chikako have been in Ireland for a month, studying English at the Cork Language Centre International (CLCI).
They sent emails home yesterday afternoon and are anxiously awaiting replies.
Staff at CLCI are keeping them informed of developments, and are offering them support.
The 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Tokyo triggered a giant tsunami which surged along the coast, sending a 10-metre high wall of water and debris surging inland.
Boats, cars and trucks were plucked up and flung inland by the deadly wave, shattering buildings as they were swept inland.
The northern port city of Sendai bore the brunt of the damage.
Saki is from Toda city, in the Saitama prefecture, just north of Tokyo.
She spoke to one of her aunts yesterday whose house suffered severe structural damage in the quake.
“She said it was the biggest and longest lasting earthquake she’s experienced,” Saki said.
Chikako, who lives in Nagoya, the capital of the Aichi prefecture in the south west of the island, spoke to her grandmother, who felt the earthquake and who assured Chikako that her family is safe.
But she said she wants to speak directly to her parents for reassurance.
Both girls have lived through several earthquakes — about two every years — but they watched in stunned silence yesterday as TV news reports showed devastation on a massive scale from their home country.
“I would like to be with my family. I feel very far away from them today,” Chikako said.
The college students, who have become close friends, plan to complete their studies over the next two months.
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