Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan sent an urgent message of condolence to his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gül over the earthquake that hit the Turkish province of Van on October 23.

The message reads: "Mr. President, I learned with profound pain about the earthquake that rocked Van and about the destruction, human losses and the people trapped under the collapsed buildings. I express my condolences and inform you that Armenia’s specialized rescue division is put on alert to be able to reach the disaster zone as soon as possible and start rescue operations immediately."