Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing extended condolences to Japan on the deadly train derailment on Monday.

In a message to his Japanese counterpart Machimura Nobutaka, Li said he was shocked at the heavy casualties and damage caused by the accident. He offered condolences to bereaved families on behalf of the Chinese government.

A packed commuter train jumped the tracks and hurtled into an apartment complex in an urban area near Amagasaki, some 400 km west of Tokyo, killing at least 53 people and injuring more than 400 others. The tragedy was the worst rail disaster in four decades.