Quake disaster focus shifts from rescue to aid relief

Australia said today that it has offered to help transport aid to quake-hit areas of Pakistan, but that so far Islamabad has only accepted its financial assistance.

Australia almost doubled its pledge of assistance to 7.6million Australian dollars (€4.8m) on Tuesday, but Prime Minister John Howard said his government was prepared to do more as the estimated death toll from Saturday’s 7.6-magnitude earthquake exceeded 35,000.