President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean sent messages of compassion to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over the loss of human lives following the recent earthquake in Japan which affected the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, Fukui, Toyama, and Gifu, IPN reports.

“Deeply saddened by the devastating earthquakes in western Japan. My thoughts are now with the families who lost the dear ones in Ishikawa and also with all those affected. Moldova stands in solidarity with Japan. We offer our sincere condolences,” President Maia Sandu wrote on her Twitter page.

Dorin Recean also gave his condolences to the families who lost relatives and to all those who were directly affected by the consequences of the earthquake in Japan.

“We are saddened by the news of the devastating earthquake that occurred recently in Japan. The citizens of the Republic of Moldova stand by the citizens of Japan in these difficult times. [...] Our thoughts are with your nation, Mister Prime Minister Kishida,” reads Prime Minister Dorin Recean’s message.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred on the first day of 2024 in Japan, followed by more than 150 aftershocks over the next 24 hours. The quake affected several prefectures, the worst affected being Ishikawa, where buildings collapsed and roads were destroyed. According to the latest data, 48 people have been confirmed dead.