S Korea Sends Bottled Water, Emergency Supplies to Japan

South Korea sent Thursday 20 tons of bottled water to the quake-tsunami-stricken Japanese coastal city of Sendai, along with other emergency relief supplies, the foreign ministry here said.

Air Force planes departed a local airport earlier in the day for Japan's Niigata airport, reportedly carrying 20 tons of mineral water, 21 drums of oil and 1,500 units of protective clothing.

South Korea has dispatched a total of 107 rescue workers to the neighboring country to help search and rescue efforts there, and says it is ready to send off more if requested.

The amount of the government donation to Japan, meanwhile, is expected to rise beyond 12.5 million U.S. dollars, a record high in the country's foreign aid history. Private donations here also skyrocketed in recent days.