A Russian emergencies ministry"s Il-76 plane...

A devastating earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck near the coast of Chile on February 27, killing at least 800 people. The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks and tsunamis leaving some 2 million Chileans homeless and damaging about 1.5 million houses.

The humanitarian cargo on board the Russian plane includes tents, diesel generators, pumps, blankets and food.

A second emergencies ministry plane with more humanitarian cargo is scheduled to leave on Thursday from an airport in the Moscow Region.

ZHUKOVSKY (Moscow Region), March 3 (RIA Novosti)