Russian rescue workers and Chilean troops have unloaded the first plane with humanitarian aid to Chile which has been devastated by a series of earthquakes.
A Russian emergencies ministry's Il-76 cargo plane arrived late on Thursday to the Chilean capital, Santiago, carrying some 28 tons of tents, diesel generators, pumps, blankets and food.
Chile's Defense Minister Francisco Vidal Salinas, other senior government officials, and diplomats from the Russian embassy met the plane at the international airport in Santiago.
The Chilean officials have expressed gratitude to Russia for providing the country with timely aid.
A second Russian emergencies ministry's plane with more humanitarian cargo to Chile is expected to leave on Friday from an airport in the Moscow Region.
The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks and tsunamis leaving some 2 million Chileans homeless and damaging about 1.5 million houses.
Chile has declared three days of national mourning from midnight on Sunday in honor of the victims of the quake.
MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti)
