China-donated quake relief supplies arrive in Afghansitan

HERAT, Afghanistan -- The first batch of earthquake relief supplies donated by the Chinese government arrived at Afghanistan's Herat International Airport on Sunday morning and was handed over to the Afghan side.

Relief materials, including tents and rollaway beds, were unloaded from two Chinese cargo planes at the airport.

Two deadly quakes, each with a magnitude of 6.2, followed by several aftershocks, rocked west Afghanistan with an epicenter in the Zanda Jan district of Herat province on Oct 7, and left at least 2,000 dead and thousands more injured.

Since Oct 7, Herat has been experiencing a series of tremors, forcing locals to stay and sleep on the public ground to escape possible devastating aftershocks.

The Chinese government has pledged emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan to help the country with earthquake relief work. According to the needs of the Afghan side, China's aid supplies mainly include tents, rollaway beds and thick blankets.

Chinese mining firm MCC-JCL Aynak Minerals Company Ltd (MJAM) donated 2.27 million Afghani ($30,000) to the quake-affected families in Herat on Thursday.

Afghanistan-based Chinese citizens donated more than 17,000 dollars to the quake-affected people in Herat on Wednesday.