The earthquake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, shook Jiashi and Bachu counties at about 10 a.m. Monday, killing over 260 people and injuring at least 2,000 others.

Foreign leaders, who have sent their messages to Chinese President Jiang Zemin, are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar Than Shwe, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, Spanish King Juan Carlos I, Egyptian President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak, Moroccan King Sidi Mohammed, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, President of Seychelles France Albert Rene and Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman Ibn Hamad.

Leaders who expressed their sympathy to Vice President Hu Jintao include Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman Ibn Hamad.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Khan Jamali, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Barbados Prime Minister Owen S. Arthur have expressed their sympathy with the victims in their messages to Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2003)