(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-26 10:19

BEIJING  -- More aid from abroad continues to flow into China on Sunday for the relief efforts of the recent devastating quake, which has killed more than 60,000 people in the country's southwestern Sichuan region.

Russia, which is among the first countries to offer aid after the quake, delivered additional batches of humanitarian aid to China Sunday.

"An Il-76 cargo plane of the Emergency Situations Ministry carrying some 30 tons of disaster relief aid, including blankets and tents that are mostly needed, departed from Ramenskoye near Moscow," the Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

Another transport plane with humanitarian aid is scheduled to leave later Sunday, the ministry said.

Russia has so far sent nearly 400 tons of emergency aid, as well as rescue and medical teams, to Sichuan province, which was hit by an 8-magnitude quake on May 12.

Also on Sunday, an Israeli cargo plane carrying the second batch of relief materials left the country and headed for China.

The materials, which are worth some US$1.5 million, include tents, blankets, water-cleaning devices and so on.

"We would like to send our condolences to the people of China, and to try to help as far as we can, in order to express the friendship and understanding between our peoples," said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni at a ceremony at Ben Gurion international airport before the plane took off.

Chinese Ambassador to Israel Zhao Jun thanked the Israeli government and people for their "cordial affection and generous assistance," saying the friendship between the two nations will be carried on from generation to generation.

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