The Ministry of Foreign Affairs April 5 expressed heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the international community for expressions of support following the train derailment in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County last week.
 
“We sincerely appreciate the messages of concern & condolences by governments, officials & organizations from countries & regions,” the MOFA said in a tweet on its official Twitter account.
 
The ministry is humbled by the strong support for the country and those affected, the MOFA said, adding that the government and people are truly touched by the warm gestures at this time of sadness and loss.
 
According to the MOFA, as of April 5, messages have been received from 780 heads of state, senior government officials, major political figures, scholars and friends of Taiwan hailing from 94 like-minded countries and international organizations.
 
These include official statements and letters, such as two addressed to President Tsai Ing-wen from Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, the MOFA said, adding that other messages of support have been sent via telephone as well as posts on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
 
Latest statistics from the Taiwan Railways Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications reveal the train derailment has claimed 49 lives and injured 216, including the deaths of two Americans and one French national, while two Japanese and one Australian also sustained injuries.
 
The MOFA said it is working closely with the representative offices of countries whose citizens are affected by the accident so as to help family members visit Taiwan. (SFC-E)
 
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