China prepares relief supplies for quake-hit Nepal

The Chinese government is preparing emergency relief materials and will send the supplies to quake-hit Nepal soon, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said late Saturday.

A 68-strong China International Search & Rescue Team (CISAR) will leave for Nepal at 6 am Sunday morning to help with relief work in Nepal after the country was hit by a 8.1-magnitude earthquake earlier Saturday, Hong Lei said in a written statement.

The team, taking a chartered plane, will arrive in Katmandu midday Sunday, the China Earthquake Administration announced.

At least 1,457 people have been killed in the earthquake, which jolted large parts of Nepal as well as eastern India and Bangladesh on Saturday.

Some counties in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region was also affected by the strong earthquake.

China follows closely the developments of the earthquake in Nepal and conveys great concern and sympathy to the Nepalese people, said Hong.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have respectively sent messages of condolences to Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pande, according to Hong.

In the messages, they expressed profound condolences to the deceased and deep sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured.

The Chinese government also extended solicitude to other countries affected by the earthquake, including India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, said Hong, adding that China is ready to provide assistance to these countries within its capacity.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in Nepal have launched emergency response mechanism to help with the Chinese nationals who have been injured in the disaster and deal with the aftermath of the deceased, adding that the Chinese diplomatic missions will also coordinate China's relief operations in Nepal.