World offers aid, help, sympathy

Indians watching the devastation at the Marina beach in Madras yesterday caused by tidal waves in the region. Tidal waves devastated the south Indian coastline killing more than thousand. PHOTO: AFP

Two Russian Il-76 transport planes will leave in the next few days for the region carrying tents, other supplies and rescue personnel, a spokesman for Russia's emergencies ministry told the Interfax news agency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent telegrams expressing his condolences over the devastating natural disaster to the leaders of India, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Meanwhile the European Com-mission said it was providing emergency aid of three million euros (four million dollars) for victims of the tidal waves caused by a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean on Sunday.

The cash is intended for "initial vital needs," and more substantial aid will be provided later, the EU executive said in a statement.

Expressing sincere condolence to the families of those who have been affected by the earthquake and tidal waves in Bay of Bengal, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday offered all assistance to Sri Lanka for rescue and relief operations, a PMO spokeman said.

Singh has offered all assistance to Sri Lanka, including support from the Navy for rescue and relief operations, he said.

Pakistan President Pervez Mus-harraf Sunday called for "swift and concerted" international efforts to deal with the catastrophe caused by a powerful earthquake and tidal waves in several Asian countries.

Musharraf expressed his profound shock over the severity and destruction of the earthquakes and offered Pakistan's help in "containing and mitigating the widespread suffering."

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on Sunday offered his "deepest sympathies" to the Asian countries ravaged by killer tidal wave.