A number of foreign leaders and senior officials have sent letters of condolence to their Chinese counterparts over the gas well burst on Dec. 23 that killed 233 people in Chongqing, southwest China. 

In a message to Chinese President Hu Jintao, Moroccan King Mohammed VI expressed his deep sympathy and solicitude to the victims and their families.

Moldova's President Vladimir Voronin, Slovakian President Rudolf Schuster, and President Svetozar Marovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina also offered their condolences to President Hu.

Slovenian Prime Minister Anton Rop sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, expressing deep sympathy to relatives of the victims.

Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul of Croatia, and Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic of Serbia and Montenegro sent their condolences to their Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing.

Czech Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy also sent condolence letters to Li. 

US Ambassador to China Clark Randt on Tuesday sent Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing a letter to express sympathy over the gas well burst in the Chongqing Municipality.

In the letter, Randt, on behalf of the American people and the government of the United States, extended deep sympathy and sincere condolences to China and to the victims' families.

"Our thoughts are with them during this trying time," the ambassador said in the letter. 

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2004)