
Indians evacuated by IAF from Nepal
New Delhi/Kathmandu:
India has evacuated 2,246 people from Nepal, where a massive earthquake on Saturday has left over 3,700 dead.
The defence ministry has said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) brought the people in a dozen sorties.
Five sorties had to be aborted yesterday because of aftershocks and poor weather.
Defence Ministry Spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted:
A top Indian official has described the situation in the Himalayan nation as "very, very serious."
Nearly 1,000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force are working on relief and rescue operations after the earthquake, which is Nepal's worst in 80 years. A Rapid Action Medical Team of the army is ready with medicines and equipment for first aid centre in Lagankhel, eight km from the Kathmandu airport.
The IAF is flying in six medical teams, equipment, blankets and tents, Mr Kar tweeted.
"One C-17 of IAF landed at Palam from Kathmandu with 291 passengers on board at 0630 this morning," he said.
Bad weather hampered relief operations on Sunday. Because of massive turbulence, no flights were landing at Kathmandu. An IAF flighte from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to Nepal was aborted.
"We encountered weather which is not safe for operations and due to which we had to divert back to Allahabad," the captain told NDTV.
The defence ministry has said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) brought the people in a dozen sorties.
Five sorties had to be aborted yesterday because of aftershocks and poor weather.
Defence Ministry Spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted:
#NepalEarthquake 1 IL-76 of IAF brings back 213 persons frm KTM to Palam. Landed at 5.15 PM, taking the total number of evacuees to 2246.
- Sitanshu Kar (@SpokespersonMoD) April 27, 2015
A top Indian official has described the situation in the Himalayan nation as "very, very serious."
Nearly 1,000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force are working on relief and rescue operations after the earthquake, which is Nepal's worst in 80 years. A Rapid Action Medical Team of the army is ready with medicines and equipment for first aid centre in Lagankhel, eight km from the Kathmandu airport.
The IAF is flying in six medical teams, equipment, blankets and tents, Mr Kar tweeted.
"One C-17 of IAF landed at Palam from Kathmandu with 291 passengers on board at 0630 this morning," he said.
Bad weather hampered relief operations on Sunday. Because of massive turbulence, no flights were landing at Kathmandu. An IAF flighte from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to Nepal was aborted.
"We encountered weather which is not safe for operations and due to which we had to divert back to Allahabad," the captain told NDTV.
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