Channel NewsAsia - Sunday, May
18
SINGAPORE : Singapore handed over to the Chinese authorities the
first tranche of its US$200,000 aid package on Saturday.
It consists of medical supplies.
Over the next few days, it will be sending drinking water,
purifying tablets, tents, groundsheets, blankets, sleeping bags and
food supplies.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Disaster Assistance
and Rescue Team is also in China — working alongside rescue teams
from Japan and South Korea.
The squads, the first international teams to arrive, have been
flown into Sichuan’s Chengdu airport.
They have a massive task at hand with thousands of people
believed to be still buried under rubble.
Officials said it is the first time China has accepted outside
professionals for domestic disaster relief.
LTC Francis Ng, Head, Singapore Rescue Team, said, "The main
assistance we can give to them, that we can actually contribute to
this rescue effort is search and rescue missions." — CNA/ms
