Dharamsala, Feb 24: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed his sadness over a major quake that hit New Zeeland’s second largest city Tuesday.
“In a letter sent on 22 February to H.E. John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his shock and sadness on hearing the news of a powerful earthquake that had once again struck Christchurch which he had fond memories of visiting in 1996,” statement on the official website of the exiled Tibetan leader said.
In the letter, the Nobel Peace Laureate has expressed his “deeply felt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the well-being of those who have been injured or lost their homes, with the hope that normal life is restored soon”.
For the second time in five months, New Zealand’s south island city of Christchurch was rocked by a major earthquake on Tuesday afternoon local time.
According to latest media reports, 98 people have been confirmed dead with up to 300 still missing.
The city, home to some 390,000 residents, was still recovering from the battering inflicted by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last September that damaged up to 100,000 buildings but did not kill anyone.
Prime Minister John Key has declared the quake a national disaster in New Zealand, with media reports describing it as the country’s worst natural disaster in 80 years.
