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Heavy Rain Halts Quake Relief Helicopter Flights in Pakistan
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(http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=F55DD8:3919ACA

Torrential rains halt flights ferrying supplies to towns, villages
inaccessible by road because of landslides triggered by massive
earthquake Pakistani authorities have temporarily suspended helicopter
relief operations to earthquake-hit areas north of Islamabad because
of torrential rains.







U.S. Chinook military helicopters, loaded with relief goods, food and
blankets, ready to take off for earthquake-affected area of Pakistani
controlled Kashmir from Chaklala Air Base in RawalpindiHelicopters
were ferrying supplies to towns and villages that are inaccessible by
road because of landslides triggered by Saturday's 7.6 magnitude
earthquake.

Earlier, army convoys carried supplies to several devastated cities,
including Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir, where hundreds of
thousands of survivors have spent the past two nights in the open.

The government's official death toll remains at slightly over 20,000
people. But a senior army official close to the rescue operations told
the Associated Press that, according to their estimates, the death
toll is between 35,000 and 40,000 people.

Across the line of control, in Indian Kashmir, officials say the quake
death toll has surpassed 1,300 people, and could rise further. India's
military is leading rescue operations and the distribution of supplies
to remote villages.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the affected area
Tuesday, and assured survivors of government help in rebuilding their
lives. Mr. Singh also pledged more than $110 million in additional
emergency relief aid for the region.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.


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