WASHINGTON, Oct 30: A special C-130 flight is leaving the US for Pakistan on Monday with emergency relief goods for the survivors of the Oct 8 earthquake.

Also, by this weekend, a total of $174 million had been deposited in the president’s earthquake relief fund — $156 million from the US government, $15 million from the corporate sector and $3 million from individuals.

Ambassador Jehangir Karamat told Dawn that the C-130 is a new plane acquired from the US government for the Pakistan Air Force and was originally supposed to bring defence equipment.

“But the air force offered to lift relief cargo instead,” he said. The plane is now loading tents, medicines and other emergency goods at a US military base in Dover, New Jersey.

“This has been a tremendous help, relieving pressure on warehouses that are clogged with relief goods,” he said.

Mr Karamat said that Pakistan also has requested Nato and the US State Department to arrange special flights for moving relief goods.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence is arranging another special flight while the PIA has increased its lifting capacity.