On Tuesday morning in Islamabad, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhang Chunxiang transferred a check for US$120,000 to Pakistani Cabinet Secretary Ejaz Rahim to assist the country's relief efforts in areas affected by heavy rain and snow.

The Chinese government donated US$100,000 and the Red Cross Society of China contributed another US$20,000.

Some 260 people have died in northwest Pakistan in a series of avalanches and landslides during the past week and a half, while in the impoverished southwestern province of Balochistan flooding from torrential rains and bursting dams has killed at least 250 people and left as many as 2,000 missing.

Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless around the country.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing sent a telegram to Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri to offer deep sympathy and condolences to victims in the stricken areas.

(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn February 16, 2005)