A father who lost his 12-year-old daughter in the tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, has spoken to foreign students about disaster preparedness.
Suzuki Noriyuki's daughter, Mai, was one of 74 children who lost their lives at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Ten teachers and staff members were also killed by the tsunami.
About 20 foreign students and others from Ishinomaki Senshu University visited the school on Saturday to learn about disaster prevention.
Suzuki told them about how people spent days digging out children buried in mud. He said that 34 of the victims were found in the ground.
He said teachers decided to have the children stay in the schoolyard instead of evacuating to higher ground.
Suzuki urged the participants to think about what kind of disaster could strike in their regions and to be ready to flee from danger.
A student from Vietnam said it is sad the children had to die when they could have escaped. He added he would think about where to evacuate and where to meet other family members in the event of an earthquake.
Suzuki Noriyuki's daughter, Mai, was one of 74 children who lost their lives at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Ten teachers and staff members were also killed by the tsunami.
About 20 foreign students and others from Ishinomaki Senshu University visited the school on Saturday to learn about disaster prevention.
Suzuki told them about how people spent days digging out children buried in mud. He said that 34 of the victims were found in the ground.
He said teachers decided to have the children stay in the schoolyard instead of evacuating to higher ground.
Suzuki urged the participants to think about what kind of disaster could strike in their regions and to be ready to flee from danger.
A student from Vietnam said it is sad the children had to die when they could have escaped. He added he would think about where to evacuate and where to meet other family members in the event of an earthquake.
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Summary
A Japanese father, Noriyuki Suzuki, who lost his 12-year-old daughter in the 2011 Japan tsunami, spoke to foreign students about disaster preparedness. His daughter and 74 other children died at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, along with ten teachers and staff