Relief team reaches quake-hit Pakistan
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-31 05:17

BALACOT, Pakistan: China's second rescue and relief team arrived in the earthquake-hit Balacot District of Pakistan on Saturday afternoon, with the help of local military troops.

The 41-member team contacted the disaster-relief headquarters immediately after arrival and decided on the location of their camp, a difficult task in the mountainous area.

A high-ranking military officer from Pakistan told Xinhua: "We, the local military force and ordinary people, appreciate the generous help of the Chinese rescue team."

The team set up 12 tents with the help of the Pakistani soldiers, of which seven are for living and five for work, including hospitals.

According to team director Zhao Heping, the first Chinese rescue team taught the Pakistani soldiers how to dismantle the new-type Chinese tents when they left 10 days ago. This time, the Pakistani soldiers helped the second team set up the tents.

Zhao said hospitals had to be built some distance away from the camp due to limited space. "This may add some difficulties to our work."

China's relief aid to Pakistan has amounted to US$20.5 million since the October 8 earthquake struck the South Asian country, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Chunxiang said here on Saturday.

Zhang made the remarks at a signing ceremony with Ejaz Rahim, Pakistan's cabinet secretary, to mark the official handing over of a new batch of 150,000 blankets and 3,380 tents worth 50 million yuan (about US$6.2 million) as part of China's new pledge of further relief aid.

The ambassador announced that a Chinese governmental delegation will visit Pakistan from tomorrow and stay until Friday to hold talks on reconstruction and rehabilitation following the earthquake.

"Because the governments and the peoples of China and Pakistan have enjoyed a friendship that has survived difficulties, China made a prompt decision to provide relief aid at the earliest possible moment immediately after the October 8 earthquake," said Zhang.

On behalf of the Pakistani Government and people, Ejaz Rahim extended his gratitude to the Chinese Government and its people for the humanitarian assistance and the gestures of goodwill to Pakistan.

"We cannot forget that China was among the first countries to leap to the assistance of the people of Pakistan and it has done so every time Pakistan has been in need," said Rahim.

(China Daily 10/31/2005 page2)