Chinese rescue team arrives in Myanmar to help flood victims

A ten-member Chinese rescue team arrived in Yangon by plane Tuesday to extend helping hand to Myanmar people affected by severe flood which has killed at least 47 people.

The first Blue Sky Rescue Team, the Chinese largest non- governmental humanitarian organization, is the first international rescue team arriving in Myanmar and they will rush to Rakhine State, one of the worst-hit areas, for launching rescue operations, said Zhang Yong, leader of BSR team.

"We come here for rescuing disaster-affected people for the first time as we are neighboring countries and have friendly relationship between the two countries," Zhang said.

The second and third batches of rescue teams are standing ready to provide assistance to flood hit areas if needed after the first team met with the concerned governmental department and observed the current situation there.

Meanwhile, the rescue mission led by Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang handed the second batch of donation covering 20, 000 families in Sittway, Myanmar's western Rakhine State on Tuesday after the first one covering 1,545 families in Kalay township in Sagaing Region on Monday.

Another Chinese group will be dispatched to carry on rescue mission in central Magway Region within the same week and a special family rescue package was designed to provide the flood- stricken people with daily necessities.

The total fund of the program for Rakhine State as well as Sagaing and Magway regions summed up to about 300,000 U.S. dollars.

Rescue boats have been arranged to facilitate residents' transportation in flood-hit areas, Ambassador Hong Liang said, adding that China will also help in reconstruction of destroyed schools and infrastructures in these areas.

The Chinese government will also provide farmers with paddy strains for rehabilitating flood-hit farmlands, he said.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, about 850,600 acres of farmlands were submerged, of which Rakhine state suffered the most with over 260,000 acres submerged.

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall during June and July has hit people from many parts of the country, destroying houses, farmland, railway lines, bridges and roads.