BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- China expresses mourning for lives lost and sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured in the earthquake that hit Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said here on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a related query, adding China is closely following the impact of the earthquake.
The magnitude-7.1 quake struck Kumamoto at 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday (1927 GMT) at a depth of about 10 km, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Mao said the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan have immediately activated emergency response and issued consular alerts advising Chinese nationals to prepare for possible tsunamis and aftershocks.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry and missions in Japan will continue to follow the developments closely and stand ready to assist Chinese nationals whenever needed, she added. ■
