Peruvian President Alan Garcia on Sunday attended a mass in the Basilica Cathedral of Lima, Peru, mourning for more than 69,000 deaths in the May 12 earthquake in southwest China.

Peruvian First Vice President Luis Giampietri, Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde, Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz, Education Minister Jose Chang, and Chinese ambassador to Peru Gao Zhengyue also attended the mass.

On May 16, the Peruvian government passed a supreme ordinance, declaring May 19 as a national mourning day for Chinese earthquake victims. It was the first time for Peru to set up such a mourning day for other country's victims.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2008)