MACAO -- An Air Macao cargo plane, carrying 12 tons of relief supplies, took off here and was scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon at Chengdu, the capital of China's quake-hit Sichuan province.
This is Macao's first batch of humanitarian aid to the quake victims so far, which comprises milk powder, biscuits, flashlight, blankets, towels, clothes, and the like. The relief supplies were collected by the Union of the General Associations of Neighborhood Associations of Macao (UGAMM) and Macao Red Cross.
The supplies were prepared after the Macao Red Cross sent a mission to acquire the first-hand information of the quake- stricken area, and "hopefully the aid can meet the urgent needs of the victims in Sichuan", said Chou Kwok Hei, chairperson of the Macao Red Cross, at the airport.
A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck China's southwestern Sichuan province on May 12, the death toll of which has climbed to 32,477 as of 2 p.m. Sunday, while the number of injured reached 220,109, according to the emergency response office under China's State Council.
The supplies from Macao will initially be delivered to Sichuan' s Ya'an after the cargo plane arrives at Chengdu's Shuangliu International Airport.
The Macao Red Cross will continue raising more funds and collecting more supplies so as to deliver the next batch of aid to the victims as soon as possible, said Cho, adding that the relief effort in Sichuan demands many more masks and medical materials.
