40 Hong Kong tour groups safe after magnitude 7.5 quake strikes Japan

Hong Kong travellers in Japan were reported safe by at least one major tour operator while the Immigration Department said it was closely monitoring the situation after a powerful earthquake struck off the country’s northeast coast on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings.

Steve Huen Kwok-chuen, executive director of EGL Tours, said the operator currently had about 40 tour groups in Japan, including three in the northeast and four in Hokkaido, areas covered by the alert.

“All our customers are safe,” he told the South China Morning Post soon after the quake struck. “Earthquakes are quite common in Japan … there has been no impact on any of our itineraries.”

He added that staff in Hokkaido did not feel any tremors, although those in northeastern Japan experienced some shaking.

The Immigration Department said on Monday night that it had not received any requests for help from Hong Kong residents but would continue to maintain close contact with the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, the embassy and consulates in Japan, as well as tourism authorities to closely monitor the situation.

It urged residents abroad who needed assistance to call the department’s 24-hour hotline at (852) 1868, or use the relevant WhatsApp or WeChat services with the same number.