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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured Japan that India is fully committed to offering all required assistance, relief, and support to Tokyo in the aftermath of a devastating magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the country's Kumamoto region.
The announcement came during high-level bilateral discussions in New Delhi with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who is on his maiden two-day official visit to India. "First of all, on behalf of the Government of India and the people of India, I express deep condolences for the losses caused by the devastating earthquake in the Kumamoto region and express solidarity with Japan. And Excellency, we also reiterate that in difficult times, India is fully committed to providing any necessary assistance, relief, and support," Singh said. Beyond humanitarian relief, the bilateral dialogue focused on bolstering regional stability and enhancing military-technical cooperation between the two nations across the Indo-Pacific. In a post on X, Singh said, "A milestone for Indo-Pacific stability! Had a very productive meeting with Japan's Minister of Defence, @shinjirokoiz San in New Delhi. Our discussions focused on deepening maritime security, 'Make in India' defence technology, and expanding strategic trust." https://x.com/rajnathsingh/status/2090335302351245318 The Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is on a maiden two-day visit to India. Earlier on July 28, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had expressed deep concern over the earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture and conveyed India's solidarity and support to the Japanese government and people. "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," Jaishankar said in a post on X. "Pray for the safety and recovery of those affected by the earthquake." According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the southwestern Kyushu region on July 28, registering the maximum level of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale. NHK World reported that three weeks after the earthquake, more than 3,000 residents were still staying in evacuation shelters, while others were taking shelter in cars or damaged houses. The death toll stood at 39 as of 2 p.m. Monday, including deaths believed to be linked to the disaster, while 31,951 houses were damaged and 1,449 were destroyed. Seventy designated evacuation shelters continued to house 3,053 people. Authorities were also working to identify residents staying elsewhere so that assistance could reach them. NHK World further reported that running water remained unavailable to around 7,380 households in the hardest-hit areas of Uki and Yatsushiro cities and Hikawa town, with services expected to be restored by the end of August. Authorities are also taking measures to prevent further deaths amid intense heat, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius on many days. (ANI)
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