The Immigration Department on Tuesday said it had not received any request for assistance from Hong Kong people in Japan after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture.

In a statement, the department said it would pay close attention to the situation.

The Travel Industry Council said around 15 tour groups were in Kyushu, the southernmost island in Japan, totalling some 200 travellers.

“All travellers are safe. Among them, one tour group’s itinerary has been disrupted,” it said.

The council added that it had not received any request for assistance so far.

A tourist from Hong Kong said she saw cracks on the roads in Kumamoto.

“We happened to be on the street when the earthquake struck. We could barely stand – the shaking was intense,” she said.

“The streets were packed with people and cars, and we could hear sirens from fire engines or ambulances. There were cracks on the roads and pavements.”



Edited by Edmond Fong