Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced here Saturday that China will offer 5 million yuan (US$0.6 million) worth of emergency humanitarian aid to the quake-hit Iran.

First patch of the aid, including 10 tons of blanket, tents, medicine and power generators, will be dispatched Saturday along with a rescue team on a charter plane, MOC sources said.

More than 25,000 people were killed and 50,000 others injured when an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale rocked the ancient city of Bam in southeastern Iran early Friday. 

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2003)