Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has cancelled a tour to Europe and the Middle East to oversee the emergency response to the deadly rain that killed more than 155 in the worst disaster hitting the country in decades.
The overseas trip was expected to include Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt beginning Wednesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference on Monday that the tour was cancelled “to concentrate on disaster-management measures such as rescue and construction works.”
For his part, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Tuesday offered his condolences to the Japanese prime minister in a phone call on Tuesday.
Al-Sisi further raised international and regional issues of common interest, as well as discussing the enhancement of bilateral cooperation, according to a presidency statement.
At least 155 people have died, due to the torrential rains, mudslides, and floods that have struck the country over the last few days. Additionally, about two million people have been evacuated from the region.
More than 70,000 rescue workers, including the army, police officers, and firefighters are still searching for dozens of others still missing.
