SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written a letter to Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, expressing Singapore's deepest condolences on the loss of life caused by yesterday's earthquake.
Also, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam has conveyed his condolences to Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and informed him of Singapore's offers of assistance.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is preparing to send a 55-man search-and-rescue contingent, and the Singapore Police Force is also sending a contingent of officers, including officers from its Gurkha contingent, to help with disaster relief efforts.
Singapore is also looking at other areas of assistance, such as medical and humanitarian aid.
The Government is making a contribution of $100,000 to kickstart the Singapore Red Cross appeal for donations.
DPM and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean said in a statement yesterday: "We are very saddened at the loss of lives from the earthquake. The Singapore Police Force has a sizable number of Gurkha officers, and some hail from the affected regions.
"We share their anxiety and concern for their families, and will do all we can to aid Nepal in this time of need."
This article was first published on April 26, 2015.
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