“Deeply saddened by the loss of lives and damage caused by the earthquakes in western coast of Japan,” Foreign Minister Hasani said in a statement.

“In these difficult moments, our thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people and government. Heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones,” he said.

Central Japan was hit by a series of 21 quakes of above 4 on Richter scale in just 90 minutes, with the strongest of tremors measured at a magnitude of 7.6.

The powerful tremors triggered a tsunami alert, with authorities calling on local residents to evacuate affected coastal areas.

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