Saturday’s quake a disaster of highest category of severity, says Defence Minister
The Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre assessing the Nepal earthquake. Photo: Mr Ng Eng Hen's Facebook page
SINGAPORE — The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday is a disaster of the “highest category” of severity, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday, as he joined several Cabinet ministers in expressing his condolences to the nation.
The assessment, said Dr Ng, was made by the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (RHCC). “So far, more than 30 aftershocks have occurred, some of them measuring as high as 6.6 on the Richter Scale. With a population of 1 million people in Kathmandu within a land area of 50.67 sq km (roughly the size of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), Changi RHCC assesses this disaster to be in the highest category,” he said in a Facebook post.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a Facebook post that he visited Gurkha officers yesterday morning, some of whom hail from the affected regions. “Our thoughts are with our officers and families. We thank the many generations of Gurkhas for your service to Singapore.”
Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who was in Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Summit, said he was deeply saddened and has conveyed his condolences to Nepal’s Foreign Minister. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, he said: “Other ASEAN countries expressed their condolences. I am sure that they will be doing what they can, each one within their capabilities.”
LEE YEN NEE AND ALBERT WAI
