THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Sunday expressed deep condolences to the Government and people of Japan in the face of the tragic loss of life, widespread destruction and suffering wrought by torrential rains and floods in Central and Western Japan.

According to reports, the number of confirmed deaths in the disasters triggered by extreme torrential rains in a broad swath of western Japan has reached 200. Saddened by the situation, CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador LaRocque expressed sympathy to the Japanese people.

“The Caribbean Community conveys its heartfelt sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives and the families of the missing. The community also sympathises with those displaced by the disaster,” Ambassador LaRocque said in a message of condolence to Japanese Prime Minister HE Shinzo Abe.

“The Caribbean Community expresses its solidarity with the Government and people of Japan at this moment of national grief, and is confident that the innate strength of the people of Japan will fortify them as the task of recovery and rebuilding begins,” he added.
Japan’s worst floods in three decades have not only left about 200 dead, but have forced millions to evacuate as more than 500 millimetres of rain fell between Friday and Saturday alone.