Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday sent a message of condolences to his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiyev over the deadly earthquake which killed nearly 70 people.

On behalf of the Chinese government, the Chinese people and himself, Hu expressed sincere condolences and deep mourning over the deaths in the disaster to the Kyrgyz president and the relatives of the bereaved.

The 6.3-magnitude quake occurred in southern Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, killing nearly 70 people and injuring 50 others, according to reports of the country's Emergency Situations Ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2008)