A shocked world rushes in aid

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 27. Messages from abroad expressing sympathy and help for the victims of the Gujarat earthquake have started pouring in.

The British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, expressed ``deepest sympathies'' for all those who lost their loved ones. ``We stand ready to help in any way we can'', he said in a message to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee. Queen Elizabeth in her message to the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, expressed ``great concern'' at ``such a heavy loss of lives''.

The top three Chinese leaders - the President, Mr. Jiang Zemin, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr. Li Peng, and the Prime Minister, Mr. Zhu Rongji, - also expressed condolences. Beijing also offered $50,000 as urgent aid.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori, expressed ``sincerest sympathy'' to the Government and the people of India.

The visiting Algerian President, Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, condoled the tragic loss of life. In his message to Mr. Narayanan, he said Algeria sympathised ``most sincerely'' with the people affected by the natural disaster.

Annan offers aid

Reuters, PTI, AFP report:

The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, expressed sadness over the loss of life in the quake and offered assistance to the area. The U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs sent a five-member disaster assessment and coordination team to India, where thousands were feared dead. The team was due to arrive in India tomorrow.

Britain has pledged &and pound;3 million to help the victims of the Indian earthquake. In London, the Department for International Development said the funds would be used to give emergency help. A 60-strong search and rescue team was on standby to fly out pending clearance from the Indian authorities.

U.S. Embassy gives $25,000

The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi donated $25,000 to the Prime Minister's relief fund for relief measures, the Ambassador, Mr. Richard F Celeste, said today.

Canada said it would donate one million Canadian dollars to help the quake victims.

Germany has positioned a 20-member team, comprising highly- trained sniffer dogs and specialised equipment, ready to help in the rescue and relief operations and was awaiting Indian government's clearance.

The Dutch Ministry for Development and Cooperation in the Hague announced it would donate $420,000 to the quake victims through the Red Cross. Norway pledged $1.11 million and said it was in close contact with international humanitarian aid agencies to help decide how best to disburse the aid.

Switzerland said it had sent a 48-man rescue team, search dogs and aid supplies to India.

Musharraf expresses grief

In Islamabad, the Pakistan military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, sent a message of sympathy to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee.

``I have been saddened at the tragic loss of life and property in the earthquake which hit large parts of India today,'' he said.

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