Chinese President Hu Jintao offered sympathies on Sunday to his Bangladesh counterpart Iajuddin Ahmed over the casualties and devastation caused by Cyclone Sidr in the South Asian country.

In a message sent to Iajuddin, Hu offered deep sympathies for the victims of the cyclone and expressed the belief that the Bangladesh people will overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes soon.

The cyclone smashed into Bangladesh's southern coastline on Thursday. The death toll climbed to 1,860 Sunday morning, according to the latest figure released by the country's disaster management ministry.

Premier Wen Jiabao also sent a message on Sunday offering his sympathies to Fakhruddin Ahmed, chief advisor of Bangladesh's caretaker government.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2007)