By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, Jan 15: Exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has expressed sympathy and conveyed his condolences to the families of Haiti’s earthquake victims.
“I extend my sympathy and heartfelt condolences to all those families who have been directly affected by what I understand is the worst quake in two centuries in the history of Haiti,” the Dalai Lama said in his condolence letter to President Rene Garcia Preval on Wednesday.
A devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation on Tuesday, toppling thousands of buildings, including the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters and government buildings. It was a day when even the Haitian President was temporarily left homeless after the quake flattened the country’s landmark presidential palace.
In the letter, the 74-year old Nobel Peace Laureate said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of so many lives and property” as a result of the earthquake.
The Haitian Red Cross and government officials have estimated Friday that at least 50,000 people had died and that three million more were hurt or left homeless.
“I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives in this tragedy and condolences to their families and others affected by this natural disaster,”His Holiness said.
