MOSCOW, August 16 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Peruvian leader Alan Garcia over the deaths of at least 300 people killed by an earthquake Wednesday night, the Kremlin press service said.
"Let me express solidarity with you on behalf of all Russians and convey my condolences to the relatives of the victims," Putin said in a telegram.
The U.S. geological service said two earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.5 on the Richter scale hit Peru Wednesday with an interval of several minutes in the towns of Chincha and Ica, 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the capital Lima.
Firefighting services said a number of bodies had been found under debris in the town of Pisco.
French media said communications had been cut off, preventing authorities from calculating the damage and ascertaining the number of victims.
