Dalai Lama saddened over quakes in Ecuador, Japa

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has written to Ecuador's President Rafael Correa and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressing grief over the loss of life and property in the earthquakes, his office said on Tuesday.

"I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives as a result of this natural disaster, and would like to express my sympathy and condolences to their families and others who have been affected," the elderly monk wrote to Correa.

In his letter to Abe, he said: "I feel it would be important if Japanese Buddhists recite the Heart Sutra. Such recitation may not only benefit those who have lost their precious lives, but may also help prevent further disasters in the future."

The toll from the earthquake that hit Ecuador's Pacific coast over the weekend now stands at 413.

The toll in the 7.3 magnitude temblor that struck the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan was 41.