China sends 10 tonnes of drinking water to Japan quake-hit areas

  A staff member prepares the relief matierals at an airport in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, March 17, 2011. A total of 10 tonnes of drinking water assisted by Changchun City will be transported to quake-hit areas in Japan on Thursday. (Xinhua/Lin Hong)

CHANGCHUN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China delivered ten tonnes of bottled drinking water to Japan's earthquake-hit areas on Thursday in the country's latest round of relief donations sent to assist Japan's rescue and recovery efforts.

The water, packaged in 800 boxes, was air-lifted from China's northeastern city of Changchun, Jilin Province, to Niigata in northeastern Japan on Thursday before it was taken by road to devastated Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, said Duan Yingli, a foreign affairs official with Jilin provincial government.

The drinking water was provided by the Jilin provincial government and the municipal government of Changchun as requested by the Japanese government, Duan said.

Funds and other forms of aid have flowed from the Chinese government and the public after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit off Japan's northeast coast and triggered an array of disasters, including a massive tsunami, last Friday.

China sent a 15-member international rescue team to Japan, while the Ministry of Commerce said it is providing 30 million yuan worth of emergency humanitarian assistance.

The first relief package -- 2,000 blankets, 900 cotton tents and 200 emergency lights -- was delivered early this week.

On Wednesday, Beijing boosted aid to Japan by pledging 20,000 tonnes of fuel -- 10,000 tonnes of gasoline and 10,000 tonnes of diesel.