India sends 4 aircraft with relief supplies to Nepal
27 April 2015 4:41 AM IST
As many as four aircraft including a C-130 plane carrying three tonnes of relief supplies and a 40-member rescue team were on Saturday pressed into service to assist Nepal after it suffered a devastating earthquake in which hundreds of people have been killed.
The External Affairs Ministry has also set up a 24-hour control room to help its nationals with information and any other assistance.
While two C17 globemasters took off from Hindon airbase, one aircraft was being sent from Bhatinda, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told reporters. The 40-member National Disaster Response Force with their equipment will not only provide relief and rescue services to Indians there but also Nepalese people, he said.
The teams will also assess the damage, he said, adding that tomorrow also India will fly special engineering teams to help the people of Nepal.
Acting on Nepal’s request, the government will be sending medical teams and mobile hospitals, the Foreign Secretary added. The relief supplies include tents and blankets as asked by the Nepalese government, he said, noting that in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the message was very strong that “we should do whatever possible to help Nepal”.
Asked about Indians stuck there, Jaishankar said the government has received information from several states regarding tourist groups and it was being processed to get the exact number.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that “Indians in Nepal may please contact our mission in Kathmandu.
Our mission will provide you all help.” Hundreds of people were killed in today’s 7.9 earthquake with epicentre at Lamjung, around 80 kilometres northwest of Kathmandu. It also had its impact in several Indian states including Bihar, West Bengal and UP and tremors were felt across vast stretches of eastern and northeastern region. It was also felt in China, Bhutan and as far as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Bihar bears Nepal quake brunt, toll 28 in East
Bihar, still reeling under the devastation wrought by a killer nor’wester, bore the brunt of the massive temblor that shook the eastern and northeastern parts of the country on Saturday claiming at least 28 lives and leaving 202 injured.
In West Bengal, three persons were killed and 69, including 43 school children, were injured in quake-related incidents.
Giving the casualty figure in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who dashed back from New Delhi during the day said seven persons were killed in East Champaran and six in Sitamarhi, which are near the international borders with Nepal.
There were three deaths in Darbhanga, two each in Madhubani, Saran and Araria and one each in Sheohar, Supual and West Champaran, he told newsmen.
Kumar said 133 people have been injured in quake-related incidents in different parts of the state.
29 were injured in Darbhanga, followed by 16 in West Champaran and 10 in Madhubani. Injuries were also reported from Sitamarhi, East Champaran, Sheohar, Supual, Nalanda, Samastipur, Gopalganj, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur, he said.
Mild tremors in Chhattisgarh
Mild tremors caused by a massive earthquake in Nepal today were also experienced at various places in Chhattisgarh.
However, no loss to human life or damage to property was reported in the state. “Mild tremors were felt in Raipur, Bilaspur, Sarguja and Bastar regions at around 11:41 AM, which are measured at 5 on Richter Scale,” said M L Sahu, Director, Meteorological Centre, based in Raipur <div style="display: inline !important;">district.
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Restore quake-hit telecom network in Bihar, UP: Prasad to DoT
Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked DoT Secretary Rakesh Garg to take stock of the damage to telecom network in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh due to the earthquake and initiate measures to restore the network.
“Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has instructed the Telecom Secretary Garg to take stock of the damage done to the communication network in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh due to earthquake and initiate measures to restore network in both private and public sector at the earliest,” an official statement said.
The statement added Chief General Managers of BSNL in Bihar and UP have been directed to assess
damage and draw emergency plans to restore communication in the affected areas.
UP: 12 dead, CM announces relief
At least six persons were on Saturday killed and over a dozen injured as major parts of Uttar Pradesh felt tremors resulting in collapse of buildings and walls.
While three deaths were reported from Barabanki district adjoining the state capital, two were reported from Gorakhpur and one from Sant Kabir Nagar.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a financial assistance of rupees five lakh to the kin of those killed in the earthquake, Rs 50,000 to grievously injured and Rs 20,000 to those having minor injuries, an official spokesman said here.
The Chief Minister has also talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him of the situation in the state, the official said.
“The CM called the Prime Minister and apprised him with the measures being taken by the state government,” the spokesman said.
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