Virgin Atlantic flight to aid earthquake victims

Friday, 01 Nov, 2005 0

An aid flight to help people affected by the Pakistan earthquake is being run by Virgin Atlantic.

The airline is working with Save The Children and The Rotary Club to fly a Boeing 747-400 aircraft from Gatwick to Islamabad with 55 tonnes of aid.

Save The Children has supplied tents, tarpaulins and plastic sheeting and The Rotary Club has supplied Shelterboxes, which include a ten-person tent, sleeping bags, water purification equipment, basic tools, lighting and kerosene fuelled cooking equipment.

The supplies are designed to provide vital shelter to many thousands of people left homeless by the earthquake on October 8.

Airline chairman Sir Richard Branson said: “Everybody who works for Virgin Atlantic has been shocked and saddened to see the devastation in Pakistan caused by the recent earthquake.

“This terrible tragedy has left thousands of families without shelter with a harsh winter fast approaching. With stocks of tents, blankets and other essential supplies now exhausted in Pakistan, Save The Children and other aid agencies have no choice but to fly these supplies in.

“In fact, Rotary have made available more Shelterboxes than we can carry on this flight and I am pleased to say that our friends, and great rivals, British Airways have agreed to help out by carrying Shelterboxes to Pakistan over the next few days in addition to the other aid they’ve already transported.

“We hope the British public and other British companies will continue to support the relief effort to avert a loss of life greater than the original earthquake.”

Report by Phil Davies

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Phil Davies

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