1,050 Indians evacuated, govt rushes 13 military aircraft with aid to quake-hit Nepal
Kathmandu: India on Sunday dispatched 13 military aircraft to Nepal loaded with tonnes of food, blankets and other aid, stepping up relief efforts to its earthquake-devastated neighbour.
Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar said the transport planes were carrying disaster management experts along with medical supplies and other relief material desperately needed in the wake of Saturday's deadly quake.
"We expect to have 13 military aircraft going to Kathmandu.... Five of these have landed while the others are on their way. By late evening (Sunday) we expect all 13 to land," Jaishankar told a briefing in New Delhi.
#NepalEarthquake Number of evacuated Indians in six IAF flights reaches 1050. More flights expected tonight. pic.twitter.com/CAW23SkI2n
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) April 26, 2015Read: Aftershocks cause more terror as Nepal earthquake toll tops 2,200
India's assistance is part of a massive aid effort that has started pouring into Nepal following the quake that has claimed more than 2,500 lives.
Nepal shares close cultural ties with its giant neighbour India which was also hit by the quake, killing close to 70 people there.
The planes are carrying three army field hospitals along with two tonnes of medical supplies and 10 tonnes of blankets and tents, Jaishankar said.
Read: 22 climbers dead in quake-triggered avalanche on Mt Everest
India has separately pressed civilian aircraft into service to evacuate stranded nationals, many of whom have been camping at Kathmandu's airport since Saturday.
Jaishankar said the government was still trying to determine how many Indians needed to be evacuated from Nepal.
Earlier Sunday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the first priority was helping Nepal to rescue those still trapped. "Even now many people buried under the rubble must be alive," Modi said during his monthly radio programme. "Our effort will be to rescue as many people alive as possible.".
Read: 7.9-magnitude quake robs Nepal of its architectural jewels
Nepal, which is reeling under Saturday’s earthquake, is likely to experience widespread rains and thundershowers which may trigger landslides, according to the weather department which has asked people to remain alert.
“Weather Forecasting Centre of Indian Meteorological Department has predicted fairly widespread rain/ thundershower activity over Nepal during next the 4 hours.
“The activity is most likely to become widespread on April 27 and 28 with the possibility of isolated heavy thunderstorm activity, particularly over eastern part of Nepal,” the Ministry of Earth Science said in a release.
Read: Scientists fear bigger quake in future
Similar weather is also predicted for Kathmandu, it said adding it is suggested that precaution be taken against such weather and also due to possibility of landslides at vulnerable sites.
According to the release, the sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim would also experience fairly widespread to widespread rain, thundershower during the next three days with possibility of isolated heavy thunderstorm.
Read: Survivors recount nightmare of shaking buildings, devastation
Scattered thunderstorm activity over Bihar and isolated placed in eastern UP would also occur during the next 2-3 days, it said. It also said that another earthquake, that occurred at around 12.39 pm on Sunday, was of 6.8 magnitude at a depth of 10 kilometre with its epicentre about 65 km east of Kathmandu in Nepal.
Effects of this earthquake were also severely felt in all northern and central parts of India including in the capital city of New Delhi, the release said.
Read: Nepal: This was among the world's strongest earthquakes since 1900
According to the Met Department, the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Center gave details of the epicentre and the magnitude of the quake within ten minutes of its occurrence.
