BEIJING, May 8 -- The Chinese government announced Thursday it will offer 10 million yuan (1.62 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following a fatal landslide last week.

The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that China is providing emergency aid for Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts to help the government weather the major disaster.

On May 2, a landslide hit the northeast Badakhshan province after days of heavy rain, leaving more than 280 people dead, local officials said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a message of sympathy to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, expressing condolences and sympathy for those affected by the disaster.