The Chengdu Military Area Command decided to airdrop more relief supplies to people in badly-hit areas near the epicenter on Thursday.

The supplies included 50,000 packets of food, 25,000 pairs of shoes, 5,000 cotton-padded quilts and 54,000 articles of clothing, the military source said. The items would be airdropped mostly in Beichuan and Wenchuan counties.

By Wednesday, more than 12.5 tons of relief goods had been airdropped to quake-hit areas.

On Thursday, 30 more transport aircraft will be sent to these areas for disaster relief operations including airdrops, according to a decision by the disaster relief headquarters of the State Council the Cabinet.

The aircraft will be under the command of the Chengdu military.

Meanwhile, another 70 helicopters and 30,000 soldiers were being deployed to the quake zone, the General Staff Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Wednesday night.

They would join 47,813 PLA members, armed police and militia, 22 military transport aircraft, 35 civilian aircraft and 18 helicopters already working in Sichuan, military sources said.

The quake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale and centered in Wenchuan County of southwestern Sichuan Province, struck on Monday afternoon and is so far known to have killed almost 15,000 people.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)