Ontario pledges $5 million in aid as Asia rebuilds following tsunamis

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario has pledged $5 million in aid and will send its top expert in forensic identification to Asia as the region struggles to recover from a series of devastating tsunamis. "I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of this terrible disaster," Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a release.

"Since the first news, we have been in contact with other governments and disaster relief agencies and are able to offer a plan for immediate assistance, starting by re-activating the Ontario Disaster Relief Fund."

The province will also send Dr. James Young, outgoing commissioner of emergency management, to the area to offer his expertise.

On Wednesday, the federal government committed another $36 million in aid to bring Ottawa's contribution up to $40 million, while British Columbia pledged $8 million directly to the Canadian Red Cross.

Canada will also send a planeload of relief supplies to Indonesia, the nation hardest hit by the Dec. 26 earthquake and resulting tsunamis. A planeload was sent to Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

The death toll from last weekend's earthquake-tsunami catastrophe rose to almost 115,000 on Thursday as Indonesia uncovered more and more dead from ravaged Sumatra island.

© The Canadian Press, 2004