Representatives from UN Security Council members and other countries on Wednesday sent their deep condolences to the Chinese government and people for a strong earthquake that hit the northwestern part of the country and killed at least 589 people.

The diplomats from nearly 40 countries and the European Union offered their condolences to China when they were taking the floor at an open Council debate on the situation in the Middle East, which kicked off here Wednesday morning. The representatives were from the only countries which inscribed to speak at the open debate.

Representatives from Austria, Bosnia, Brazil, Britain, France, Gabon, Japan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Russia and the United States offered their condolences to the Chinese delegation for the 7.1-magnitude earthquake, which struck northwest China's Qinghai Province early Wednesday.

Condolences were also from such countries as Afghanistan, Argentina, Botswana, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia and Venezuela.

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and president of the UN General Assembly Ali Treki also sent their deep condolences to China over the strong earthquake.

At least 589 people have reportedly died and 10,000 others were injured in the wake of the deadly earthquake, local authorities said.

Many people are still buried under the debris of collapsed houses in the Gyegu Town near the epicenter in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in southern Qinghai, said Huang Limin, deputy secretary-general of the prefecture government.

The strong quake and a string of aftershocks, with the biggest one measuring at 6.3 magnitude, have toppled houses, temples, gas stations and electric poles, triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut power supplies and disrupted telecommunications. A reservoir was also cracked where workers are trying to prevent the outflow of water.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2010)