LONDON, Oct 18: British Defence Secretary John Reid said on Tuesday that the UK had committed two Puma helicopters to Pakistan which the Royal Air Force had airlifted from Spain.

Mr Reid said the helicopters would be used by the International Committee of the Red Cross for medical evacuations and the transport of relief supplies in Kashmir.

He said that more than 23,000 ration packs had been sent to Pakistan for the quake victims. He said Royal Air Force Hercules had transported 3,150 halal ration packs and bottled water from the British forces in Afghanistan to Islamabad. A further 19,950 vegetarian ration packs have been dispatched from stores at Bicester.

The British government has committed £13 million in assistance, including blankets, tents, and tarpaulins.

According to the British officials, the earthquake affected four million people and displaced 3.3 million.

“Assessments from the Balakot area indicate that it was one of the worst hit (areas) with over 20,000 casualties (out of a population of 400,000), 90 per cent of buildings destroyed and 100 per cent homeless,” said the report.

According to the report, due to congestion at Islamabad airport and shortage of ground handling equipment, some flights were being redirected to Lahore and Karachi.