Foreign countries and organizations on Monday offered condolences and sympathy to China after a major earthquake hit the country's southwestern Sichuan province and claimed thousands of lives.

U.S. President George W. Bush extended Monday his condolences to China over the earthquake.

"I extend my condolences to those injured and to the families of the victims of today's earthquake in China's Sichuan Province. I am particularly saddened by the number of students and children affected by this tragedy," President Bush said in a statement.

"The thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the Chinese people, especially those directly affected. The United States stands ready to help in any way possible," he said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday expressed sadness and sympathy for the victims of an earthquake that hit southwest China earlier Monday.

"I want to ... express my sadness and sympathy for the victims of today's earthquake in southwest China," Ban told a press conference. "We do not yet know the extent of the tragedy, but you have seen the reports of the hundreds of students trapped at a local university and potentially many others are dead."

The European Commission said in a news release that it was closely monitoring the situation in the Sichuan province in China.

Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said, "The initial news from Sichuan is worrying."