MOSCOW, August 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Chinese leader Xi Jinping over hundreds of casualties caused by 6.5-magnitude earthquake in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, the Kremlin said.

“The Russian president expressed his words of sympathy and support to friend and relatives of those killed and wished soonest recovery to all injured,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

“The Russian president also expressed readiness to provide assistance in the elimination of the natural calamity’s consequences if the need arises,” the statement added.

Chinese Ministry for Civil Affairs reported earlier that the strongest earthquake to hit the province in 14 years struck Yunnan on late Sunday afternoon leaving over 380 killed and some 1,800 injured, while three were reported missing.