BELGRADE, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Boris Tadic sent a telegram of condolence on Wednesday to Chinese President Hu Jintao after a devastating earthquake of 6.9 on the Richter scale hit western China, reported the Serbian news agency Tanjug.

"The citizens of Serbia and I were deeply distressed to learn about the loss of lives of so many people. We feel the pain of the families of those killed and of the whole Chinese nation.

"Please accept my deepest sympathy," said Tadic, who last year was the first Serbian president to visit China since Serbia became an independent state.

Serbian Parliamentary Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic sent a telegram of condolences to Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo.

"Serbian citizens sympathize with the pain experienced by families of the victims, as well as citizens of the province Qinghai and with the whole of our friend, China," the telegram read.

Early Wednesday morning, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, in Qinghai province. Initial reports said at least 400 people were killed and 10,000 others got injured.