Melbourne man missing in quake zone
Updated
Ruined: people make their way through a street clogged with tsunami debris in Sendai. (Reuters: Yomiuri )
There are grave fears for a Melbourne man missing in an area of Japan hardest hit by Friday's devastating magnitude-8.9 earthquake and tsunami.
Jason Briffa, 25, from Point Cook in Melbourne's west, was working as an English language teacher in Sendai.
His family has not been able to contact him since the earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck the area.
Mr Briffa's sister, Melissa Briffa, says none of his friends in Japan have heard from him either.
"I don't know where he is; he hasn't said anything on Facebook and we're trying to keep it together but it's very hard," she said.
"You'll be doing something and something will remind you of him and you'll suddenly get upset.
"Mum's a bit of a wreck, Dad's trying to keep it together and I'm trying to keep it together for her as well, but the uncertainty's very hard."
Melissa Briffa says waiting for news is agonising.
"We've contacted DFAT on numerous occasions and they can't tell us anything," she said.
"They've said four people in Sendai have been located but they can't even tell us if he was among them.
"He's very kind-hearted and very selfless, which worries me again, because in a tragedy like this he would put others before himself."
Jason Briffa's aunt, Carmen Bonello, wants DFAT to release all the information they have from Sendai.
"They say that so many people have been found that are Australians and that they've been put on a list, well where is that list?" she said.
"Why can't the parents get access to that list because at least you are relieved. I mean, this has been happening since Friday."
The massive earthquake caused tsunami waves up to 10 metres high to surge inland.
Thousands of people remain unaccounted for, including 10,000 people in the small port town of Minamisanriku.
First posted
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