Tunisian President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali condoled with his Haitian counterpart Rene Preval on the disastrous earthquake which hit the Caribbean peninsula Tuesday, state-run TAP news agency reported on Wednesday.

"President Zine al Abidine Ben Ali sent a message of condolence and sympathy to President of Haiti Rene Preval after the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti, during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday," the report said.

"The Head of State expresses his strong emotion and deep sorrow after this terrible disaster which hit a friendly country, causing numerous victims and heavy material damage," the report added.

A major earthquake of magnitude-7, which was never recorded in the region, rocked Haiti on Tuesday, crushing thousands of buildings, including the presidential palace and the UN peacekeeping headquarters, and trapping untold numbers of people in the rubble of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2010)