By IANS,
New Delhi : Expressing grief over the death of at least 160 people in a massive earthquake in Balochistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday wrote to his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani and offered India’s assistance in relief work.
“I am deeply grieved to hear of the earthquake that struck Baluchistan causing widespread loss of life and property,” Manmohan Singh said in the letter to Gilani.
“On behalf of the people of India, I express our sincere condolences to the families of those who have perished in this natural calamity,” the prime minister said.
“The government of India stands ready to offer all possible assistance that you may require to provide relief to the people affected by this tragedy,” the prime minister stressed.
A powerful earthquake jolted Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province, leaving at least 160 dead and hundreds injured.
The 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, and several districts of the province between 4.30 a.m. and 5.10 a.m. Wednesday, causing massive destruction across the province.
India had also extended a helping hand to Pakistan in relief work in the aftermath of a massive earthquake that killed thousands in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in October 2005.