Canada offered condolences to China over the heavy life and property losses in the devastating earthquake, said a joint statement issued by Canadian Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier and Beverley Oda, Minister of International Cooperation.

"We are greatly saddened by the news that thousands lost their lives and that hundreds of children who were at school at the time are trapped in the debris," the statement said.

"Canada stands ready to help should China request any assistance in its humanitarian relief efforts," the statement said.

The EU ambassador to China Serge Abou, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Yahya Bin Abdul-Kareem Al-Zaid, Cape Verde's Ambassador Julio Cesar Freire De Morais and the Czech Republic's embassy in China also extended their condolences and sympathy to the country over the quake.

A 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Wenchuan county, 159 km northwest of the southwest Sichuan province's capital of Chengdu, at 14:28 (0628 GMT) Monday, killing thousands of people in eight affected provinces.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)