A Chinese earthquake rescue team arrived Algiers early on Saturday
to help Algeria's rescue and relief efforts as the death toll from
the devastating earthquake is still rising.
It
is the first time that Chinese rescue personnel have participated
in international aid activities for earthquake relief.
The team, consisting of 30 highly experienced personnel and headed
by Yue Mingsheng, deputy director of the China Seismological
Bureau, will help with the search and rescue work.
The team brought with them three sniffer dogs and relevant
equipment, and 9 tons of relief goods.
On
Thursday, the Red Cross Society of China donated US$50,000 to the
Red Crescent Society of Algeria. The donation is the first that
Algeria received from a foreign country.
The death toll from Algeria's devastating earthquake exceeded 1,600
and is expected to rise further, Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed
Ouyahia said on Friday.
Ouyahia told a press conference that the toll is going to get
worse, and attributed heavy loss of life to the high population
density in the worst-hit region.
More than 7,200 people were injured the quake and hundreds are
still missing. Hopes of finding survivors in the debris are fast
diminishing.
Wednesday night's earthquake, which measured 6.7 on the Richter
scale, was the worst quake that hit Algeria since 1980. It was
followed by more than 200 aftershocks, some as strong as 5.7 and
4.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremor is said to be
some 70 km east of the capital city of Algiers.
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2003)