Russian Emergencies Ministry plane with first batch of humanitarian aid departs for Afghanistan

An Il-76 aircraft from the Russian Emergencies Ministry left Moscow for Afghanistan with the first batch of humanitarian aid for citizens affected by the recent powerful earthquake, according to a statement from the ministry.

"The Russian Emergencies Ministry's Il-76 plane has departed from Zhukovsky Airport near Moscow to deliver humanitarian aid to the population of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan affected by the devastating earthquake",

the ministry's press service stated.

The aircraft is expected to deliver a humanitarian cargo weighing 20 tons.

The delivery comes in response to a powerful earthquake and subsequent aftershocks that struck Afghanistan last weekend. The tremors resulted in over 2,200 fatalities and approximately 3,000 injuries.