Monday, October 10 2005 09:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: US President George W Bush yesterday (Oct 09, 2005) called up Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to offer all possible assistance in quake rescue and relief operations and offer condolences over the tragedy.

"I told him (Musharraf) that we want to help in any way we can. To that end we've already started to send cash and money and other equipment, goods and immediate help to Pakistan," he told reporters here. Bush said he expressed 'our nation's deepest condolences' to Musharraf.

Thousands of people have died, thousands are wounded, and the US wants to help, he said adding that his country was sending cash and eight helicopters to help with earthquake rescue and recovery.

"I was told one of the biggest concerns for the government of Pakistan is not enough airlift capacity to get into the rural areas where people are suffering. So we're moving choppers," he said.

He said additional help could be on the way.

"(Defense) Secretary (Donald) Rumsfeld is surveying the assets that he may be able to move in the area," Bush said.

Bush had invited the Pakistan embassy's deputy chief of mission Mohammad Sadiq to the White House to personally offer his condolences, as the country's ambassador was out of town.

In statement issued by the White House yesterday, the President had said, "the people of the United States offer our deepest sympathies for the loss of life and destruction."

The death figure in Pakistan in killer earthquake was estimated at upto 30,000 while on the Indian side of Kashmir it has crossed 650.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said in Islamabad that the eight US helicopters will arrive in Pakistan today (Oct 10, 2005).

"The US is sending them but it takes time to arrange and we have been told they will be here tomorrow," he told a press conference.

The US embassy in Islamabad yesterday said the eight military helicopters would facilitate delivery of relief supplies in remote areas.

Besides the helicopters, two plane loads of tents and blankets besides a million dollar cash assistance have also been sent, the embassy said in statement.

Two C-130 U.S. military aircraft will bring tents, blankets, and other relief supplies while a separate chartered aircraft would bring in rolls of plastic sheeting and water containers, it added.

Also a seven-person Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) would reach Pakistan on October 10 and 12 to assess the assess humanitarian needs and help required.

In his media interviews, Musharraf yesterday sought helicopters and material assistance from foreign countries.