Maldivian leader sends condolences following deadly China quake

Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu sent a message of condolence to the Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, following a deadly earthquake that hit north-west China.

The 6.2 magnitude quake hit mountainous Gansu province at around midnight on Monday, also shaking neighboring Qinghai.

At least 126 people have been confirmed dead, and hundreds more injured.

In his message, President Muizzu expressed profound sadness regarding the deadly earthquake, and extended deepest sympathies on behalf of himself, the government and the people of Maldives, to President Xi, and the government, and the people of China, in particular, the families of the deceased and injured.

Concluding the message, President Muizzu conveyed his sincere best wishes for the success of the recovery efforts from the disaster.

Gansu lies between the Tibetan and Loess plateaus and borders Mongolia. The remote region is one of China's poorest and most ethnically diverse.

The epicenter of the quake was in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, home to many Chinese Muslim groups, including the Hui, Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar people.

The Gansu earthquake is the deadliest China has seen since the devastating 2010 quake in Yushu, Qinghai province, which claimed almost 2,700 lives.