21.6 M bottles of water sent to quake zone

BEIJING - China will send 21.6 million bottles of water to help survivors of a devastating earthquake, state media reported on Wednesday.
The bottles, provided by the commerce ministry, are being transported by rail to southwestern China, Xinhua news agency said.
The consignment will back up shipments of 10,000 flashlights, 40,000 batteries and 200,000 candles already sent, the report added.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed or buried by the 7.9-magnitude quake which struck Sichuan province on Monday.
China's military said it would begin dropping aid into the affected region on Wednesday morning if the weather permitted.
Relief efforts have been hampered so far by severe damage to roads and steady rain.