Beijing, May 7 (IANS): China has sent a total of 1,088 military personnel and members of armed police forces to help with disaster relief in Nepal after the earthquake on April 25, state-run Xinhua news agency cited a senior military official as saying on Thursday.

That is the biggest group the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police forces have sent to foreign soil for humanitarian aid missions since New China was founded in 1949, said Zheng Weibo, director of the emergency response office of the PLA's General Staff Headquarters, at a press conference.

As of Thursday, the PLA Air Force had deployed eight transport planes to carry a total of 416 tonnes of relief supplies to Nepal. The Chinese army has also sent three helicopters and 190 pieces of engineering machinery.

On the ground, Chinese medical and rescue teams have rescued and transferred 24 people who were stranded by the quake to safe places. They have also treated 2,387 people.

The PLA and armed police forces have also mobilised more than 6,000 members or personnel to Tibet region, which was also affected by the quake, according to Zheng

The officer said the Chinese army would continue to send relief supplies to Nepal and intensify decontamination and medical services to prevent diseases.