MEDICAL & RESCUE PERSONNEL FOLLOW
A couple of hours after the search & rescue team started digging for survivors, a 58-member medical team from China arrived in Kathmandu Monday morning.
The team, which set up a makeshift hospital in one of the worst-hit areas, had so far treated 83 people, Chinese health authorities said Tuesday.
The team comprises experts from medical, pharmacy, osteology, nursing and psychology departments, among others.
They brought with them 13 tons of medical aid and are expected to stay in Nepal for about 10 days to carry out their humanitarian mission.
In light of the tremendous needs, the Chinese government also sent a 170-member army rescue and medical team to Nepal to further assist the rescue operations.
The majority of the military personnel arrived in the capital Monday evening, with the other 45 members set to arrive on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The rescue soldiers, all experienced in earthquake rescue missions, are taking with them four sniffer dogs, five recovery vehicles and rescue equipment, including life detection equipment and entry tools.
They had participated in operations after several deadly quakes in southwest China, including the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan Province that killed more than 87,000 people.
In addition, four IL-76 planes from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force left an airport in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province, for Kathmandu on Tuesday, carrying around 90 tons of humanitarian materials, military sources said.
The materials, including tents, blankets and power generators, are the first batch of 180 tons of goods offered by the Chinese government.
TOURISTS TURN INTO VOLUNTEERS
Besides official personnel, some Chinese tourists stranded in Nepal have also joined the efforts to help local victims.
Ye Liang, a tour guide from a Chinese travel agency, said he is staying to ensure all Chinese tourists from the agency depart safely, and also to provide assistance to local people.
"Heavy rain with hail poured down just now, and we brought some lemon ginger tea," Ye told Xinhua reporter on Tuesday. "Everyone has just gathered to pray, drink tea and chat, with no panic."
"A lot of tourists donated before they left," Ye said.
