Government Rushes 13 Aircraft to Earthquake-Hit Nepal; Over 1300 Indians Rescued So Far

"India is with Nepal in this hour of crisis... rescue operations are a priority," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today in his monthly radio-address Mann ki Baat. He is monitoring the rescue operation, the status of which was discussed at a review meet this afternoon.

So far, over 1300 Indians have been brought back from Nepal through defence and civilian aircraft. India will press into service 35 buses also to bring people back, foreign secretary S Jaishankar told the media.

But the rescue operations were hampered today by an aftershock that measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the quake was Kodari, 80 km east of Kathmandu near China border, said the US Geological Survey.

Following the aftershock, Kathmandu's Tribhuban airport was shut down for over two hours and the Air Traffic Control personnel were evacuated.  

The tremors were felt in India. It was more pronounced in Bihar, which, at 51 deaths, has suffered the maximum casualty. The metro rail services in Delhi and Kolkata were suspended for a while.

In the evening, defence aircraft carrying relief material were authorised to use the Tribhuban airport.

An under-14 girls' football team from India, which was stranded in Kathmandu, has also been evacuated. The girls have reached Delhi.

Five flights - defence and civilian - landed in Kathmandu from Delhi today, carrying an engineering task force, medical contingent, two tons of medical supplies and three more NDRF teams.

The Ministry of External Affairs has set up a 24-hour control room. Indians stranded in Kathmandu who want to get in touch with their families in India can contact the embassy in Kathmandu controlroom@mea.gov.in.

Over 700 have died in Kathmandu, the police said, in what was the strongest earthquake to hit the Himalayan nation in 80 years. Two Indians are among those killed, reports news agency Press Trust of India.