The President of China, Xi Jinping, sent this Tuesday (11) a message of condolences to the President of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit the west of the country. According to the most recent report from Colombian authorities, the disaster left more than a hundred dead, hundreds injured and thousands missing. Rescue operations continue, and the number of victims continues to be updated.
In the message, Xi stated that he received the news of the earthquake with deep regret and lamented the numerous victims and the serious material damage caused by the disaster.
“On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I express deep sorrow for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured,” he wrote.
The Chinese president added that he is confident in the country’s ability to overcome the tragedy. “The Colombian people will unite to overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes as quickly as possible,” he said.
The earthquake was felt across a large part of Colombian territory and also in neighboring countries. The shock caused the collapse of buildings, damage to hospitals, schools, highways and power grids, in addition to interrupting essential services in several locations. Firefighter, military and volunteer teams remain mobilized in the search for survivors, while thousands of people remain outside their homes.
Given the scale of the tragedy, the Colombian government declared a state of emergency to accelerate assistance to affected areas and expand rescue operations. Searches continue to be hampered by damage to infrastructure and the risk of new landslides and earthquake aftershocks.
To date, Xi Jinping’s message is the Chinese government’s main public statement on the earthquake. Beijing authorities have not yet announced the sending of humanitarian aid or other assistance measures to the country.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
