Seoul  - South Korea Friday sent rescue workers to the Chinese Sichuan province that was hit by a devastating earthquake earlier this week, the Foreign Ministry said.

A team of 41 workers of the National Emergency Management Agency, along with sniffer dogs and equipment, left for China to help locate and rescue earthquake victims still buried under rubble, the ministry said.

South Korea sent the group after Beijing accepted Seoul's offer to help.

The government would send an additional team of medical workers, if China requests it, a ministry official said.

South Korea also plans to send emergency aid materials, including tents and blankets to Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan, on Sunday by a special cargo plane.

Earlier, the South Korean government had announced a plan to provide China with emergency funds and aid materials worth 1 million dollars.

At least 20,000 people died and an estimated 30,000 are missing under rubble from Tuesday's 7.8-magnitude quake. (dpa)