Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government sent a team of five staff from the Government Flying Service early Saturday morning to earthquake- devastated southwest China's Sichuan Province to provide assistance in the rescue and relief efforts.

The team of two pilots, two aircrew officers and one aircraft engineer will form part of the HKSAR government's rescue team.

Before departure, the Controller of Government Flying Service, Captain Michael Chan, met the team members and encouraged them to do their best in the rescue and relief work.

Hong Kong had already sent two rescue teams comprising of firefighters and medical staffs to southwest China's Sichuan Province, where a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Monday had claimed thousands of lives and devastated the areas into debris and rubbles.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2008)