Vietnam expressed condolences and sympathies to the governments and families of the victims in recent earthquake and tidal waves in many Asian countries, VietnamNews Agency reported on Monday.

"We were shocked and moved to learn of the great losses of lives and property caused by the disaster on Dec. 26 in some Asiancountries, especially in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives," the report quoted Le Dung,the Foreign Ministry's spokesman as saying.

The spokesman stressed that Vietnam hope the governments and people in the countries will quickly overcome the consequences of the natural disaster.

The tsunami obliterated seaside towns in Asia and Africa, killing 22,000 people in nine countries. The death toll mounted sharply on Monday, a day after the 8.7-magnitude quake struck deepbeneath the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia, which was themost powerful quake in four decades. Officials said the death tollwould continue to rise, and international aid agencies rushed to get food, shelter and clean water to the affected areas.