Japan to Give 500,000-Dollar Aid to Quake-Hit New Zealand

Tokyo (Jiji Press) - The Japanese government on Friday decided to give 500,000 dollars in emergency grant aid to earthquake-hit New Zealand.
The aid will be provided through the New Zealand Red Cross.
At a meeting of a special task force on the devastating tremor, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that his government is prepared to respond to a request for further aid from New Zealand.
The death toll from the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that jolted the major New Zealand city of Christchurch on Tuesday has exceeded 110, and some 200 others remain unaccounted for.
Among the missing people are 26 Japanese people, including those studying at King's Education, a local language school. The building that housed the school was shattered by the quake, with many people believed to be trapped in the rubble of the building.
Kan said that he strongly hopes as many people as possible will be rescued from the debris, adding that the Japanese rescue team operating at the site will continue its rescue efforts without giving up hopes.