Islamabad, Apr 1 (PTI) Pakistan on Tuesday dispatched the first shipment of 35 tonnes of relief supplies to help the victims of the earthquake in Myanmar.

The country was hit by a 7.7 intensity tremor on March 28, wreaking havoc at a massive scale.

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with his Myanmar counterpart Senior General Min Aung Hlaing a day ago and conveyed his condolences over the loss of lives and property due to the earthquake. He also said that Pakistan was ready to provide any assistance to alleviate the suffering.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a leading body to tackle disasters, started sending relief supplies and the first shipment of aid includes 35 tonnes of goods, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, medicines and water modules.

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Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry attended the ceremony for the dispatch of the relief supplies, which were being transported by a special aircraft to Yangon.

Chaudhry stated that a total of 70 tonnes of aid will be sent to Myanmar, adding that Pakistan stands with the people of Myanmar in this difficult time.

A special message of sympathy for the people of Myanmar was also conveyed by Prime Minister Sharif.

The ambassador of Myanmar expressed his gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan for their aid and praised the efforts made by Pakistan for the relief efforts.

An additional 35 tonnes of relief supplies will be dispatched soon as part of the second shipment to further assist the victims, according to a statement by the NDMA.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)