The Japanese government has announced it will not use military planes to deliver aid to earthquake victims in China. Japanese officials said (Friday) they are planning to charter private planes to deliver tents and other relief goods.
Tokyo had considered using military aircraft for the mission, but rethought the effort after messages appeared on Chinese web sites recalling Japan's occupation of China during World War Two.
Meanwhile, emergency workers in China's southwestern Sichuan province are working frantically to drain a "quake lake" formed by this month's deadly earthquake in the region. Authorities fear the Tangjiashan lake will overflow as a result of flooding and strong aftershocks, sending tons of water on the people living below. More than 150-thousand people have been evacuated from the area.