(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-13 23:06

YANGON  -- An aircraft, laden with 1.45 tons of relief supplies from the Chinese Red Cross, arrived at the Yangon International Airport Tuesday afternoon for delivery to cyclone- hit victims in Myanmar.

The aircraft brought along anti-malaria and anti-biotic medicines.

China has sent three batches of relief materials since last week under the country's emergency relief aid of one million US dollars and 30 million Chinese renminbi yuan (4.3 million US dollars).

Earlier relief goods items include medicine, compressed food, blankets, tents and water purifiers.

Besides, the Yunnan provincial government has also donated to Myanmar relief supplies worth of 250,000 US dollars. These relief goods including medicine and construction materials have been or are being airlifted to Yangon batch by batch.

Moreover, the Chinese community in Yangon is also taking part in cyclone relief work along with Myanmar people with three major local Chinese associations having successively donated through the authorities concerned to storm victims a total of 50 million Kyats (45,000 US dollars) in cash last weekend.

Other individuals in the community also made donations to the government's relief and resettlement headquarters.

A deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, severely hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon on May 2 and 3, covering such coastal towns in the Ayeyawaddy division as Haing Gyi Island, Pathein, Myaungmya, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat, Phyarpon and Bogalay, and 45 townships in the biggest city of Yangon and inflicting the heaviest ever casualties and infrastructure damage.

A total of 31,938 people have been killed by the cyclone, with 29,770 people still missing and 1,403 others injured by Monday.