CANBERRA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Friday said it will deploy firefighting aid to France in response to devastating wildfires in the country.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said that Australia will send a Chinook helicopter with an 11,300-liter water tank and a Bell 412 reconnaissance helicopter to France within days.
Additionally, 24 highly skilled aerial and ground crew will be deployed from the rural fire service in the east coast state of New South Wales (NSW).
The federal ministers said in a joint statement with NSW's Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib, that the assistance was requested by the French government amid a wildfire crisis that French President Emmanuel Macron described as the worst since World War II.
France previously sent firefighting aid to Australia during the nationwide 2019-20 'Black Summer' bushfire crisis. ■
