Nepal's top government official praises China's support in rescue operation

KATHMANDU, April 29 (Xinhua) -- As China has intensified rescue operation and medical treatment in Nepal following two major earthquakes in Nepal on Sunday and Saturday, a senior government official has highly praised China's support in this great tragedy of the Himalayan nation.

Speaking at a recent press briefing in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, Chief Secretary of the Nepal government Leela Mani Paudyal said "The government of China was the first to send international medical teams and rescue teams to Nepal. China International Search and Rescue Team (CISAR) is considered as one of the world's best teams during such natural calamities and the rescue operation has been expedited after the CISAR team landed in Kathmandu."

The chief secretary thanked the international community including neighboring China and India for their support in rescuing injured people and pulling dead bodies from the debris.

"CISAR has been taking out significant numbers of dead bodies from the debris and the Chinese teams' efforts are commendable," he said.

As a responsible global power and Nepal's neighbor, China responded immediately to Nepal's call after the magnitude-7.9 quake hit Nepal, leaving more than 5000 people dead and many more were still missing.

The first batch of Chinese aid material, which included tents, blankets and electric generators, arrived aboard a military plane in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

The aid is part of 186 tons of emergency aid worth 20 million yuan (3.2 million U.S.dollars) pledged by the Chinese government.

Moreover, China has decided to send a second batch of emergency relief worth 40 million yuan (6.4 million dollars) to affected areas in Nepal, including water purifiers, first aid kits, tents and blankets, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 215 Chinese military personnel arrived in Nepal on Monday and Tuesday in two batches. The Chinese teams are carrying out rescue operations with sniffing dogs, recovery vehicles and rescue equipment, and provided medical aid and psychological counseling.

The 62-member CISAR team that landed in the capital city Kathmandu on Sunday as the first international heavy urban search and rescue team has transferred its work focus to medical service and epidemic prevention as four days have passed after the quake occurred. A total of 328 patients were treated by them on Tuesday.

The 58-strong Chinese Government Medical Team has treated 83 people since it arrived in Nepal on Monday. Besides that, more Chinese governmental and civil organizations such as the Red Cross Society of China have arrived in Nepal or are standing by.