Xinhua
Beijing, May 15 (Xinhua) Several European countries have offered financial and technical aid to China after the devastating earthquake Monday that killed at least 15,000 people. The quake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, jolted the Wenchuan County in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan.

The British government will donate one million pounds (about $2 million) in aid, the secretary of state for international development, Douglas Alexander, announced Wednesday.

Ten British search and rescue volunteers will fly to China to help in the disaster relief efforts, BBC reported Wednesday.

Britain’s non-governmental welfare organisations Save The Children and Oxfam have dispatched their teams to the quake-hit areas and raised disaster relief funds for China.

The Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID) Wednesday announced that it would give one million euros (about $1.6 million) for relief work in China.

The Belgian government also pledged extra relief funds to China Wednesday, raising the total sum to 650,000 euros ($1.04 million).

The foreign ministry of Greece, an earthquake-prone country, has pledged to donate 200,000 euros ($320,000) to China’s quake-hit areas.
Xinhua