Late Monday night Emirates SkyCargo re-routed from commercial services three freighters to carry tons of aid to Pakistan after an earthquake devastated the area killing over 50,000 people.

The main deck of a jumbo Boeing 747-400F was filled with 14 urgently-required vehicles weighing nearly 30,000 kilos on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Additional relief goods, such as tents and medicines, were carried in the lower deck.

Phil Jones, head of base at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said, "The Federation has a large team in the earthquake region, including a number of Emergency Response Units that arrived as early as October 10. In addition to relief items such as tents and blankets, there is an urgent requirement for appropriate vehicles to support our operations and these are in short supply. We are grateful to Emirates SkyCargo for diverting their freighter from scheduled services and for responding swiftly and in a thoroughly professional manner."

More relief supplies such as tents, blankets, food and medicine were carried by two Emirates SkyCargo freighters to Islamabad Monday night. One more Boeing 747-400F was re-routed from its scheduled services and carried more than 115 tons of relief supplies to Islamabad.