Some Singaporeans have been forced to amend their itinerary after a magnitude 7.6 quake hit Japan on Monday (Jan 1), causing tsunamis to strike their west coast, Lianhe Zaobao reported on Tuesday.

Chen, 27, was in a shopping mall in Nagoya with his friends when he suddenly saw an earthquake alert pop up on his phone on Monday, Zaobao reported.

Within seconds, the ground started shaking.

"The quake lasted for about half a minute," Chen recalled. "Some shoppers were in a panic and didn't know what to do, but others were calm and took the escalators to the lower floors."

Chen and his friends had originally planned to travel out of Nagoya the next day and had even sent their luggage to their destination in Kanazawa, but the earthquake forced them to make changes.

"Our hotel and bus tickets were cancelled and we don't even know if we can claim insurance for this," he said.

"It's the New Year today so many people go to shrines to pray. There's a festive atmosphere on the streets, but no one expected a natural disaster."

'The shaking started to intensify'

Speaking with AsiaOne, another Singaporean Andrew Toh recalled his family's experience with the earthquake while they were in Osaka over the weekend. 

He had posted about his experience on Facebook group Singaporeans Travelling to Japan yesterday. 

Toh, 53, was resting in his hotel room at around 4pm when he suddenly felt a little dizzy while looking at his phone.

"The first thing that came to mind was wondering if there was an earthquake. Then, the shaking started to intensify," he recounted. 

"It lasted nearly two minutes and once it stopped, I stepped out of my room and headed to my daughter and wife's room to check on them."

Toh didn't panic despite his first time encountering an earthquake, and decided to return to his hotel room as he felt that an evacuation order would be announced by the hotel if it was necessary.

"There were smaller aftershock tremors till around 5pm but they were so much milder," he added.

Fortunately, his plans were not affected by the earthquake.

"It was quite an experience, though a little scary," he told AsiaOne. "What a way to start the new year."

Another traveller also shared her encounter with the earthquake in the comment section of Toh's post.

"I was in my hotel room in Kyoto lying down and I felt tremors," Rasimah Rashid wrote. "After that, the hotel started shaking. What an experience. Hope all is well for everyone."

'Just go and have fun'

Many other netizens in the same Facebook group weren't too worried about the earthquake, however, and didn't felt the need to change their travel plans.

A post by Samantha Tan asking if it would be safe to travel to Japan next week was met with a couple of netizens assuring her that it would be fine.

"Just go and have fun. You are not going to get any payout from insurance company since there is no government advisory to ask tourists to stay away," a user claimed.

Another user named Nebula opined: "I think it’s safe to go, but avoid skiing/mountain areas at all costs. Heard there are still aftershocks and avalanches."

No reports of Singaporeans affected

In a statement today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that there are currently no reports of Singaporeans affected.

And that they have reached out to e-registered Singaporeans in affected regions including Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama, and Yamagata.

Added an MFA spokesperson: "In view of possible aftershocks, Singaporeans in Japan are advised to defer travel to the affected regions, remain vigilant, take all necessary precautions for their personal safety and heed the instructions of the local authorities."

The Singapore government has also expressed its condolences to Japan and the families affected by the Ishikawa earthquake.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singaporeans staying short-term in Japan should consult their hotel, tour guide or business associate and bring important travel documents with them in the event of a major earthquake. 

They may also contact the embassy in case of an emergency.

Rescuers still trying to reach survivors

Over in Japan, rescue teams on Tuesday are still struggling to reach isolated areas where buildings had been toppled, roads wrecked and power cut to tens of thousands of homes in the New Year's Day earthquake. 

At least 30 people have been killed so far.  

The magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck in Ishikawa prefecture on Monday afternoon, triggering tsunami warnings for regions along the western coast.

A 3,000-strong rescue crew of army personnel, firefighters and police officers from across the country have been dispatched to the quake sites on the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.

"The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency meeting on Tuesday,

ALSO READ: Japan in 'battle against time' to rescue New Year's Day quake survivors

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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