30 countries providing aid to quake-ravaged Haiti

A girl is wrapped in a Red Cross blanket as she arrives in Montreal early Friday morning. She is one of the Canadian evacuees from the earthquake brought home on the same military aircraft that carried Canadian soldiers into the disaster zone on Thursday. Photo: AP.

As many as 30 countries, including India, are aiding the relief and rescue operations in Haiti, where tens and thousands of people are feared killed in a catastrophic earthquake that hit the country on Tuesday.

“Our estimate is that at least 30 countries have meaningful assistance that has already reached Haiti or is en route,” State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley, said.

Mr. Crowley said the United States has taken over the air traffic control responsibility of the main airport at Port—au—Prince after main tower collapsed, for international aid to be rushed there in time.

“We have been able to bring significant communications and logistical people, security people, into the airport. That certainly has helped expand the ability to use the airport.

But Haitian authorities are still in charge of their airspace,” he said.

He reiterated that the number of deaths is expected to be in tens of thousands.