Mangalore: Killer Tsunami - Coastal Residents Living in Japan Safe
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Mar 12: In many cases, the efforts of the relatives of the people from coastal Karnataka to contact their relatives living in Japan, after witnessing the fiery devastation let loose by tsunami in that country, went futile on Friday March 11 afternoon, as communication network and internet connectivity got severed. While the department of foreign affairs of the central government has said that it has not received any report about the casualty of any Indians in this catastrophe, it is learnt that most of the people from coastal Karnataka have been either working in universities, software companies, Indian restaurants and other industries or pursuing higher studies. Most of them are in Tokyo and nearby places.
Dhruv Narayan, son of Prof Babu Narayan, working in NITK Suratkal, who is pursuing his PhD in Kagoshima University Japan, contacted his family over phone immediately after the news of tsunami started being flashed in the television sets, that he is safe. Prof Babu Narayan said that the place where Dhruv resides also was affected by tsunami, but that there were no casualties, and all the students hailing from Karnataka living there are safe.
Suresh Bhat, from Herur in Uttara Kannada district, said that the place where he lives, which is about 650 kms away from the epicentre of the quake, also suffered severe jolts, and that his Japanese colleagues, who had experienced several such earthquakes, remained cool and confident. However, the severity of this earthquake surprised them too, he said.
Dr U K Krishna, who has been working to popularize Ayurveda system of medicines in Japan, was about 2,000 kms away from Tokyo for attending a lecture programme there when tsunami hit. He contacted his brother, Gururaj Upadhyaya, working in Poornaprajna evening college, and informed that he was safe.
Padoor Rama Tantri, working as an engineer in Tokyo since the last about three decades, lives in the heart of Tikyo. He is on a visit to his native place, and he said that his wife, Jyoti, who continues to be in Tokyo, is safe. Tantri is set to return to Japan on Tuesday.
H S Pradipkumar and Pratibha, deputed to Japan by a software company a few months ago, have informed their family in Udupi that they are safe. Pradip hails from Shimoga district, and his father-in-law, Premanandappa, works as a librarian in Poornaprajna College Udupi.
Dr D Gururaj Tantri, son of retired professor of Sanskrit College Udupi, Derebail Harikrishna Tantri, who had gone to Japan after getting MD degree from Udyavar Ayurveda College, and his wife, Rajashree, living in Oklahama Japan, are safe. His town remained unaffected by tsunami as it is located in the southern side of Japan.
Elladadi Balakrishan Shetty, and his brother, Elladadi Chandrahas Shetty, who run two restaurants in Tokyo, are safe. Chandrahas Shetty could be contacted through satellite phone on Friday evening. The buildings in their region also experienced severe earthquake, but no serious damage was done, and the government is making suitable arrangements for them, it is learnt.