Jaishankar Expresses Solidarity With Japan After Deadly Earthquake
New Delhi–External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed concern over a powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture and offered India’s support to those affected.
“Deeply concerned at the news of the earthquake that struck Kumamoto prefecture in Japan. Express our solidarity and support to the Government and people of Japan as they respond to it. Pray for the safety and recovery of those affected by the earthquake,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring dozens, according to local media reports.
As many as 30 employees were reported missing after an explosion at an Aeon-operated shopping mall in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyodo News reported. The second floor of the building collapsed after about 200 people had been evacuated.
A cargo train also derailed and overturned at Yatsushiro Station, though the driver was not injured.
About 50 people were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto, while local firefighting authorities received reports of residents trapped inside their homes.
“It shook vertically and sideways for about 10 to 20 seconds. It was worse than during the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016,” an 89-year-old resident of Uki, one of the hardest-hit cities, told Kyodo.
The earthquake occurred at about 4:27 p.m. local time at a depth of roughly 10 kilometers. It registered the maximum reading of 7 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in the worst-affected parts of the prefecture, according to the country’s weather agency.
A tsunami warning of up to one meter was issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas in southwestern Japan.
Authorities reported no abnormalities at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture or the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture.
Kyodo said it was the first time Japan had recorded a seismic intensity of 7 since the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January 2024. (Source: IANS)
