Nepal earthquake: Problem of plenty in the quake hit country

Kathmandu: Nepal has told foreign search and rescue teams not to come because there are already enough in the earthquake-hit country, a senior United Nations official said on Wednesday.

Resident coordinator for Nepal Jamie McGoldrick said the government had decided it had enough foreign experts in and around the capital Kathmandu, which has been devastated by a massive quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale that struck on Saturday.

“They feel they have enough capacity to deal with the immediate needs in search and rescue,” he said. “Those that are already en route can come but the others are being told not to.” Kathmandu’s tiny single-runway airport has struggled to accommodate the huge rush of flights bringing in aid and foreign experts.

A French military plane carrying relief supplies and medical charity workers was on Wednesday stuck in Abu Dhabi because it could not get permission to land in Kathmandu, according to a French foreign ministry source.

McGoldrick said most of the foreign search and rescue teams in the country were still in the capital. “There is a window of seven to nine days, tops, to rescue people. We are now on day four,” he said, adding that by Saturday operations would likely move on to the next stage.