grave

安倍首相はアルジェリアのセラル首相との電話会談で、日本人の安否について「厳しい情報」が伝えられ、セラル首相が安否確認に「全面的に協力する」と約束したと説明しました。

Japan firm JGC says 17 staff, including 10 Japanese, missing in Algeria

Japanese engineering firm JGC Corp. said Sunday 17 of its employees including 10 Japanese remain unaccounted for in Algeria after local security forces ended a hostage crisis at a gas complex with apparently heavy casualties.

In light of information obtained locally and from the Japanese government, the situation surrounding the missing workers is "grave," a company spokesman said.

Of the total of 78 JCG employees working at the complex, where workers were seized Wednesday by Islamist militants, 41 more non-Japanese staff have been newly confirmed safe, the spokesman said.

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2013/01/204998.html

「きびしい」という表現は一種の婉曲話法です。ここではカッコ付きのgrave（”significantly serious"）という単語が用いられますが、それが指し示すのは「死亡」ということです。これはgraveがもともとは「死体を埋める穴 」から来ていることに関係します。ただただご遺体の一刻もはやい確認と帰国を願います。（EnDough）