Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc extended condolences to his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe over great losses of life and property caused by in recent consecutive earthquakes in Kumamoto prefecture and surrounding areas.
The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh conveyed his sympathy to Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
Two powerful earthquakes a day apart shook southwestern Japan, killing at least 29 people and injuring 1,500.
On April 14, the southwestern island of Kyushu was hit by a magnitude 6.5 quake that left 10 dead. Early on April 16, a magnitude 7.3 quake shook Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu, costing the lives of 19 people.-VNA