Nine days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, killing over 7,300 people and wounding thousands more, US transport planes began to bring rescue teams and supplies to the more remote areas of the country which have been devastated by the quake.

A US Air Force C-17 aircraft and four Osprey tilt-rotor helicopters arrived late on Sunday, allowing the US to step up its rescue mission in the beleaguered country located between India and China. US Brigadier General Paul Kennedy said that pilots would begin flying sorties from Kathmandu, the capital, to far-flung areas, starting on Monday.

“They’re going to make an immediate difference,” he said. “We’ve got search and rescue teams waiting to go out to the remote areas, we’ve got relief supplies, especially shelters. Most people don’t understand that a shelter is the most pressing need, so we’re going to take these things out starting tomorrow (Monday) morning.”

The most recent official death toll in Nepal was figured to be 7,250 with about 14,000 wounded. Officials cautioned that it is expected that the final death count will be much higher. In bordering countries China and India at least 100 people have been reported as killed.