In the wake of the storm, relief agencies and the Honduras government were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster. Rescue planes flown throughout the country reported that hundreds of bodies were floating in rivers and water covered areas once occupied by towns. For the first three days, relief efforts were generally minimal due to the extremely poor state of the roads across Honduras. Numerous countries send tonnes of aid to the battered country, although it was initially stockpiled by the government until it could be properly distributed. By September 24, planes filled with relief supplies were being flown to Honduras from the United States, Cuba, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala and Venezuela. Relief crews, overwhelmed by the number of bodies, began taking desperate measures to prevent the spread of diseases. An estimated 5,000 to 6,000 bodies were burned by September 24.