Death toll in India goes up to 72, NDRF speeds up rescue operations
Centre rushed an inter-ministerial team to help coordinate relief operations in Nepal
New Delhi: : The death toll in India from Saturday's earthquake has shot up to 72, even as New Delhi ramped up relief and rescue efforts in Nepal to provide succor to the nation devastated by the disaster. Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, informed the Lok Sabha, “the toll in the country has climbed up to 72 with 56 deaths reported in Bihar, 12 in UP, three in West Bengal and one in Rajasthan.
Enumerating the mammoth task undertaken by India to minimize the sufferings of the Nepalese people under 'Operation Maitri', he said, 10 National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams are already inm Nepal and more six NDRF teams are on their way.
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An engineering task force and 18 medical units have also been rushed. An Unmanned aerial vehicle has also been dispatched to assess the gigantic losses suffered by the landlocked nation.
Young monks offering special prayer for earthquake victims in Nepal and India for peace of their souls at Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya. (Photo: PTI)
Over 2500 Indians have been evacuated from quake-hit Nepal so far and immediate visas are being given to foreigners stranded in Nepal and who want to come to India. NDRF teams comprising about 450 trained personnel have fanned across areas like Seetapaila, Maharajganj, Maheshwari and Gangabhajat, which is about 10-15 kms from the Kathmandu valley. The force, till now, has rescued 10 people and retrieved 46 bodies from under the rubble of buildings brought down by the quake on Saturday and a string of aftershocks thereafter.
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NDRF Director General (DG) O P Singh, who is camping in the capital city of Kathmandu, from yesterday, said, “A team of his men have also been deployed at the Tribhuvan international airport to assist Indian Embassy officials in the air evacuation of stranded Indians. Our priority is to carry maximum rescue operations. Last night our rescue work got hit, as there were heavy rainfalls and aftershocks of the quake.”