Azerbaijani President expresses sympathy to China over deadly earthquake

BAKU, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday sent a message of condolences to China over a 7- magnitude earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province, which killed 160 people.

In a letter sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Aliyev expressed deep condolences to the victims of the devastating earthquake and their families.

"I wish the injured recovery and the consequences of the natural disaster be eliminated as soon as possibly, " said Aliyev in the letter.

A 7-magnitude earthquake hit Lushan county, Ya'an city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, at 8:02 a.m. Saturday Beijing Time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

A total of 160 people were killed and 6,700 injured in the powerful earthquake as of 0:40 a.m. Beijing Time Sunday, according to the country's seismological bureau.