HANOI: No Vietnamese nationals have been reported affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday afternoon and sent shockwaves across Southeast Asia, said the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the ministry said it had immediately directed Vietnamese representative agencies in Thailand and Myanmar to closely monitor the situation and verify information regarding Vietnamese citizens.
Preliminary reports from the Vietnamese embassies in both countries confirmed that, as of now, there is no information indicating any Vietnamese nationals have been impacted.
Following instructions from the ministry, Vietnamese representative agencies continue to stay in close contact with local authorities and Vietnamese communities in earthquake-affected areas, and stand ready to implement citizen protection measures if necessary.
Vietnamese nationals are advised to remain vigilant, follow local authority instructions, and stay alert for potential aftershocks within the next 24 hours.
On related development, the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand is closely monitoring the situation following the strong earthquake, while maintaining contact with local authorities to implement citizen protection measures if necessary.
Its Ambassador Pham Viet Hung told VNA correspondents that the embassy is keeping a close watch after the earthquake jolted Myanmar early Friday afternoon, triggering strong tremors across many areas in Laos and Thailand, including Bangkok.
