Japan to send rescue team to quake-hit New Zealand

TOKYO, Feb. 22 Kyodo -
Japan will send a disaster relief team to New Zealand to help the country rescue those buried under debris after a strong earthquake struck near Christchurch on the country's South Island earlier in the day, a senior government official said Tuesday.
The team will be dispatched as New Zealand Ambassador to Japan Ian Kennedy made a formal request for Tokyo's help during his meeting with Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, according to the official.
Japan sent to New Zealand on Tuesday evening a three-member fact-finding team consisting of officials of the Foreign Ministry, the Tokyo Fire Department and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, ministry officials said.
The Foreign Ministry also set up a task force headed by Maehara in efforts to help people affected by the earthquake and gather information on the safety of Japanese nationals.
In an emergency meeting, Prime Minister Naoto Kan called on relevant Cabinet members to prepare to provide aid to New Zealand as well as ensure the safety of Japanese nationals there.
Maehara conveyed to Kennedy his ''heartfelt sympathy and condolence'' to the victims of a 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which has killed at least 65 people, and said Japan is ready to provide ''as much support as possible'' to New Zealand.
He said at a press conference before meeting with the New Zealand envoy that potential members of Japan's disaster relief team such as medical workers and Self-Defense Forces personnel have begun preparations for their dispatch.
As of last October, 2,820 Japanese lived in Christchurch, a city of 370,000, according to government data.