S. Korea sends relief supplies to Laos

A South Korean military aircraft carrying relief supplies has left for Laos, the foreign ministry said Saturday, following the government's announcement that it will provide help with recovery from the deadly flooding that resulted from the collapse of a dam that was under construction.  

The military jet took off at 8 a.m. from an airport in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.   

The relief supplies include 1,200 blankets, clothing and sanitation items provided by the government, the South Korean Red Cross and SK Engineering & Construction Co., the ministry said.   

The government announced Friday it would dispatch a disaster relief team to Laos and provide US$1 million worth of emergency assistance.     

The Korea Disaster Relief Team, comprising 15 medics and five support staff, is to leave for Laos on Sunday.   

SK Group also has offered to donate $10 million.

Its building unit, SK E&C, has been part of the dam construction with a 26 percent stake in the $1.02 billion project to build two main hydroelectric dams and five auxiliary dams.   

The government said earlier it plans to provide $500,000 in cash and $500,000 worth of materials to assist recovery from the disaster that swept away villages. (Yonhap)