Around 4:00 PM on Wednesday, an aerotransport of China's air force airdropped for the first time five tonnes of disaster relief materials, including mineral water, milk, instant noodles, into Mianzhu City in quake-stricken Sichuan Province.

China will also airdrop cell phone equipment into Wenchuan County, the epicenter of Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake, on Thursday morning to restore communications.

A small base station will be installed by then, military sources said without elaboration.

Seven People's Liberation Army (PLA) helicopters had delivered 12.8 tonnes of disaster relief goods to Wenchuan and its neighboring counties as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

The goods included satellite communication systems, medicine and quilts.

According to the Chengdu Military Area Command, the first two helicopters airdropped food, drinking water and medicine to Yingxiu Township of Wenchuan County at Wednesday noon.

The helicopters also carried 47 injured people to hospitals, military sources said.

An army unit equipped with mobile phones was helicoptered into Wenchuan, which has been cut off, the military sources said.

China planned to parachute troops and supplies into Wenchuan on Tuesday but cancelled the operation because of thunderstorms and heavy rain.

The death toll from Monday's major earthquake in Sichuan has risen to 14,463 by 2:00 PM on Wednesday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)