Monarchs Send Condolences to Japanese Emperor

Following the disasturous earthquake and tsunami which hit the north-eastern coast of Japan on Friday afternoon, local time, many reigning monarchs have sent messages of condolence and support to Emperor Akihito of Japan.

The Imperial Household Agency, on behalf of the Emperor and Empress, also released a statement expressing their “deep distress at the extensive damage to the region” and conveying their sympathies to Prime Minister Naoto and the families of those who lost their lives in the magnitute nine earthquake, one of history’s biggest, and the following aftershocks and tsunami.

From Britain, Queen Elizabeth II extended the “heartful sympathy” of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh to the Emperor and the Japanese people, stating that, “Our prayers and thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the dreadful disaster.”

From Norway, King Harald V spoke of his “deep grief”and conveyed the “heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy with you and with the bereaved people of Japan” on behalf of himself and the people of Norway.

From Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia sent their “deepest and most sincere condolences on the tragic loss of life and the severe damages…we also wish to convey our heartfelt sympathy to your Majesty, to the bereaved families and to the people of Japan.”

From Jordan, King Abdullah II expressed his deepest sympathies and confirmed the Jordanian Government’s readiness to assist in anyway. His wife, Queen Rania, took to her Twitter account – “Awestruck by devastating power of nature in Japan. Thoughts & prayers are with those who lost loved ones, & those who wait in uncertainty” – as did Queen Noor, “My heart goes out to all affected by quake &tsunami in Japan…”

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, King Abdullah bin Abul-Aziz of Saudi-Arabia and King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand all sent similar messages of sympathies to the Emperor. Similar messages and offers of aid have poured in from dozens of nations world-wide.

At 2:46pm local time on Friday March 11th, a newly-upgraded magnitute nine earthquake occurred approximately 130kilometres off the Japanese east coast, at a depth of 24.4kilometres. The ground shock violently for several minutes in the country, with tsunami warnings automatically issued for the areas closest to the epicentre. A tsunami, with waves of up to ten metres, struck the Japanese coastal town of Sendai just over an hour later, destroying all in its path and travelling kilometres inland. New fears are currently in the forefront of officials’ minds, as the Fukushima I and II Nuclear Power Plants face possible nuclear meltdown after the combination of earthquake and tsunami caused the cooling system to fail and cease circulating coolant to keep temperatures at an appropriate level. As of publishing time, 637 people have been confirmed dead and upwards of 10,000 people are still missing, most of those from one coastal town. Authorities have warned that the death toll may be upwards of 1,800.

Filed under Japan
Tagged Abdullah II of Jordan, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Emperor Akihito of Japan, Harald V of Norway, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, King Hamad of Bahrain, Natural Disaster, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

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