Hong Kong authorities contact embassy after resident crashes car into eatery in Japan
Owner of soba shop in Shizuoka prefecture says he thought he was ‘hit by a rocket’ when Hong Kong tourist drove car through entrance
Hong Kong immigration authorities contacted the Chinese embassy in Japan on Sunday after a tourist from the city crashed a car into a noodle restaurant, seriously injuring a customer.
The owner of the soba restaurant in Izu, Shizuoka prefecture, told Japanese news outlets on Saturday he thought he had been “hit by a rocket” when the vehicle slammed into the shop.
The 63-year-old Hong Kong woman driving the car told local police she “mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake”, according to local media reports.
The Immigration Department said it had not received any requests for help from any city residents following the crash.
“The Immigration Department will continue to stay in touch with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong and the Chinese embassy in Japan, closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds,” a spokesman said.
A restaurant employee reported the crash to local authorities at 1.30pm on Saturday.
