Chinese President Offers Condolences to Quake-hit IndiaChinese President Jiang Zemin offered condolences to his Indian counterpart Thursday after a severe earthquake killed more than 700 people in India.In a letter to Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan, Jiang Zemin expressed his condolences over the tragic loss of life and property, and delivered his sympathy to victims and their relatives. Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), and Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji also offered condolences to their Indian counterparts earlier in the day. Unofficial reports estimated the toll at 1,500, with over 600 deaths in Bhuj. The quake, measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale, had its epicenter located about 20 kilometers northeast of Bhuj in Gujarat. The quake occurred at around 08:46, the Department of Seismology said. |
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