Japan Prime Minister confirms 7 deaths in Algeria crisis
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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talks during the government's task force meeting on the hostage crisis in Algeria on Monday. Tokyo has confirmed seven Japanese deaths in the Algerian hostage crisis, the first official confirmation from Japan that any of its nationals had died. -- PHOTO: AP
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Prime Minister on Monday said seven Japanese deaths had been confirmed in the Algerian hostage crisis, the first official confirmation from Tokyo that any of its nationals had died.
"I was informed by Vice-Foreign Minister (Minoru) Kiuchi that as a result of identifications of bodies at a hospital in In Amenas, seven were confirmed to be Japanese employees of JGC," Mr Shinzo Abe told his ministers.
The Japanese firm earlier said it did not know the fate of 17 of its employees, 10 of whom were Japanese.
Mr Abe said it had not been possible so far to confirm what had happened to the other Japanese nationals who remain unaccounted for.
