By IANS
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have condoled the loss of lives after a cyclone in Bangladesh, saying India stands ready to assist in whatever way to help in the relief process.
In a message to Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed, Patil has said she is deeply saddened to learn about the tragic loss of lives and substantial damage to property in the aftermath of the hurricane and conveyed her deep condolences to the president and the people of Bangladesh, a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said Sunday.
Patil said she was confident that, as always, the people of Bangladesh will face this tragedy with courage and fortitude, the release added.
In a separate message, Manmohan Singh conveyed the heartfelt condolences of the government and people of India to the people of Bangladesh for the loss of lives in the cyclone.
In a letter to Bangladesh Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, the prime minister also expressed his deepest sympathies to the members of the bereaved families.
“Dr. Singh said India stands ready to assist in whatever way to help in the relief process,” an official statement said.
Nearly 2,500 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing since the cyclone crashed across Bangladesh Thursday. More than 5,000 people were injured, and three million people spread over 15 districts have been left homeless.