Canada sending ships, plane to aid Katrina victims
02 Sep 2005 23:33:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds Canada to send plane with Red Cross workers)
OTTAWA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Canada will send four ships with emergency supplies and disaster specialists to the southern United States next week to help the rescue operation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, officials said on Friday.
The government of Prime Minister Paul Martin also said it would pump an extra 91,000 barrels per day of extra crude oil to the United States to help overcome fuel shortages.
Late on Friday, Ottawa said a Canadian air force transport plane would take 27 Red Cross workers on Saturday to the Texas city of Houston, from where they would make their way to the disaster zone.
Martin -- who has been criticized for reacting too slowly to the calamity -- said he would be going to see the devastation as soon as he could.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan said three naval vessels and a coast guard ship would set sail on Tuesday for the Louisiana coast.
"I am very pleased that our offer of assistance has been accepted by the United States," he said in a statement.
The vessels will be equipped with divers, small boats, helicopters, electrical transformers and other equipment.
Major Canadian airline Air Canada sent an Airbus A321 twin-engined airliner to New Orleans on Friday with bottled water and relief supplies. It said the plane would operate shuttle flights to help evacuate people from New Orleans to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Some opposition politicians say Martin should have reacted far more quickly to offer help and express his condolences to the United States.
Martin said he wanted to go to see the devastation at an appropriate time, most likely once Canadian aid was on the ground.
"I want to go down as soon as possible ... I'm going down as soon as I can," he said, adding that he did not want his visit to hinder the rescue operation.
02 Sep 2005 23:33:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds Canada to send plane with Red Cross workers)
OTTAWA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Canada will send four ships with emergency supplies and disaster specialists to the southern United States next week to help the rescue operation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, officials said on Friday.
The government of Prime Minister Paul Martin also said it would pump an extra 91,000 barrels per day of extra crude oil to the United States to help overcome fuel shortages.
Late on Friday, Ottawa said a Canadian air force transport plane would take 27 Red Cross workers on Saturday to the Texas city of Houston, from where they would make their way to the disaster zone.
Martin -- who has been criticized for reacting too slowly to the calamity -- said he would be going to see the devastation as soon as he could.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan said three naval vessels and a coast guard ship would set sail on Tuesday for the Louisiana coast.
"I am very pleased that our offer of assistance has been accepted by the United States," he said in a statement.
The vessels will be equipped with divers, small boats, helicopters, electrical transformers and other equipment.
Major Canadian airline Air Canada sent an Airbus A321 twin-engined airliner to New Orleans on Friday with bottled water and relief supplies. It said the plane would operate shuttle flights to help evacuate people from New Orleans to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Some opposition politicians say Martin should have reacted far more quickly to offer help and express his condolences to the United States.
Martin said he wanted to go to see the devastation at an appropriate time, most likely once Canadian aid was on the ground.
"I want to go down as soon as possible ... I'm going down as soon as I can," he said, adding that he did not want his visit to hinder the rescue operation.
