Chinese relief materials arrive at Myanmar biggest city

China View 2008-05-07

YANGON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A special big aircraft carrying 500,000 U.S. dollars' worth of relief materials from China arrived at the Yangon International Airport Wednesday afternoon as part of China's one million dollars' emergency relief aid to cyclone-devastated Myanmar.

The 60-ton relief supplies, carried by a Boeing 747-400 aircraft, include compressed food, tents and blankets.


Chinese Ambassador Guan Mu, on behalf of the Chinese government, handed over the relief supplies to the Myanmar side at a ceremony held at the airport, which was also attended by Myanmar's Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Major-General Maung Maung Swe.

Maung Maung Swe told Xinhua that Myanmar thanks the Chinese government for sending in time the relief materials at a time when the country was hit by the disaster.

In addition to the material aid, China has also extended another emergency money aid of 500,000 dollars.

The deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bayof Bengal, on last Friday and Saturday hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon, including such coastal towns in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division as Haing Gyi Island, Pathein, Myaungmya, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat, Phyarpon and Bogalay, and the biggest city of Yangon, sustaining the heaviest ever casualties and damage.

In the disaster, 22,464 people have been killed in two divisions of Yangon and Ayeyawaddy in the violent cyclone storm that swept Myanmar's five divisions and states on last Friday and Saturday, according to Myanmar official updated death toll released as of Tuesday noon.

Of the victims, 21,793 are in Ayeyawaddy division, while 671 are in Yangon division.

A total of 41,054 were missing -- 40,695 in Ayeyawaddy division and 359 in Yangon division.

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