China sends relief to hurricane-stricken Cuba

An Air China plane loaded with a 90- tonne cargo of humanitarian aid from the Chinese government on Wednesday landed in Cuba's eastern Santiago de Cuba province, which was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 25.

The plane, which took off from Shanghai on the east China seaboard and reached its destination in Cuba after a flight of some 20 hours, brought along such needed items as power and purification plants, communication equipment, medicine and tents.

China's Ambassador to Cuba Zhang Tuo said he hoped the aid would help the recovery efforts following the devastating Hurricane Sandy, which pummeled Cuba's eastern region with downpours and winds of up to 175 kilometers per hour, causing extensive flooding, flattening homes, knocking down trees, and telephone and electricity poles, devastating crops, and killing 11 people.