Tokyo (VNA) – Major Japanese media outlets have highlighted the bravery of five Vietnamese workers who rescued a 90-year-old woman from a collapsed house following the Kumamoto earthquake, praising their quick action and the solidarity shown by the Vietnamese community in Japan.
HuffPost Japan has published an article on the rescue, accompanied by video footage of the process. The report said the five workers rushed to the scene after discovering that the house of the elderly woman, who lived alone, had collapsed.
Le Huy Tuan, one of the rescuers, recalled that they had heard cries for help beneath the rubble upon arrival. The woman had survived after becoming trapped in a small space beneath a collapsed wall and door.
HuffPost Japan reported that the Vietnamese workers joined residents in clearing the debris with their bare hands and available tools, safely pulling the victim from the wreckage while aftershocks continued.
In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s correspondents in Japan, Tuan said: "At that moment, none of us thought about our own safety. We only cared about saving the elderly woman," the newspaper reported.
Japanese broadcaster TBS also covered the rescue, reporting that the Vietnamese nationals working in Yatsushiro city worked alongside residents to rescue the victim.
Meanwhile, NHK featured the story in its Catch! Sekai no Top News programme aired on July 30, using footage from a report of Vietnam Television's VTV24 channel on the rescue. The clip was later shared on NHK World's official X account, attracting numerous comments expressing gratitude and admiration for the Vietnamese workers' action.
The VNA correspondents in Japan said several Japanese television journalists have also contacted them for further information about the incident, and expressed appreciation for the Vietnamese citizens' courage.
The extensive coverage by leading Japanese media has helped project a positive image of the Vietnamese community in Japan, highlighting its compassion, sense of responsibility and willingness to support local residents in disasters./.
