Chinese NBA star Yao sends condolence to earthquake victims

HOUSTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese NBA star Yao Ming on Wednesday expressed condolences to the families of victims in the earthquake in China's Qinghai province and offered help.

Chinese NBA star Yao Ming on Wednesday expressed  condolences to the families of victims in the earthquake  in China's Qinghai province and offered help.

"I send my sincere condolences to the families of the relatives in Qinghai area and keep a close communication without any financial concern," Yao said at a press conference at Toyota Center in Houston.

A series of strong earthquakes hit a mountainous and impoverished area of China's Qinghai province early Wednesday, killing 589 people and injuring over ten thousand.

The Yao Ming Foundation and U.S. company iTalkBB quickly responded to this disaster by providing a free hotline for the overseas Chinese to contact their friends and relatives in Qinghai.

"My foundation is determining how we can best help. We are pleased to be able to collaborate with iTalkBB on this free hotline to help relatives of the victims," said Yao.

The Yao Ming Foundation has accumulated some experience from its aid to the earthquake-stricken areas in Sichuan province, and such kind of experience will help the foundation do a better job this time, Yao said.

The Yao Ming Foundation, established in 2008, has donated around 2 million dollars to Sichuan, which was hit by a magnitude-8.0 tremor on May 12, 2008. Some 80,000 people died and more than 8,000 school rooms were destroyed in the disaster.