The first Russian rescuers arrived on Monday in Sendai, the Japanese port ciy devastated by earth tremors and a tsunami.
“We are setting up base camp in the north of the city now,” the head of the group, Andrei Legoshin, told RIA Novosti by telephone. “In the international rescue camp next to the stadium.”
There are 54 people in the group, which has brought with it rescue vehicles and other equipment.
Legoshin earlier said he hoped the group would be able to find people trapped under the rubble, adding that the next “4-5 days” were critical.
An 8.9-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami hit Japan on Friday, claiming the lives of at least 5,000 people. A series of blasts that ripped through the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant have raised fears of a nuclear disaster.
MOSCOW, March 14 (RIA Novosti)
