Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao sent messages to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, offering their sincere sympathies to the victims of a 7.2-magnitude quake which struck northeastern Japan on Saturday morning.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake, which hit at 8:43 AM local time (2343 GMT on Friday), was centered in the northern prefecture of Iwate.

Japanese media said two people were killed and over 100 others injured in the quake, according to the latest figures.

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2008)