India’s third consignment of emergency relief materials reaches quake-hit Nepal

KATHMANDU: Days after back-to-back earthquakes rattled the remote mountain areas of western Nepal killing over 150 persons, a third tranche of over 12 tonnes of India’s earthquake relief support reached the country on a special Indian Air Force plane on Thursday.

Carried by a special Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 flight, the third tranche comprised blankets, sleeping bags, tents and essential medical supplies, etc. for the quake-affected families in the mountainous region where people are facing a shortage of food, warm clothes and medicines, said the Indian Embassy here.

On November 3, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal’s Jajarkot and Rukum districts killing 153 people and injuring over 260 others. On November 7, three tremors of over magnitude 4 hit Jajarkot injuring at least 16 people. The quakes damaged around 8,000 buildings, both public and private.

The November 3 quake caused the worst human and infrastructure losses since the devastating jolt of April 2015.

A banner with the words Nepal India Cooperation’ surrounding the flags of the two countries and a label “Gift from people of India to People of Nepal” below it adorned the area where the neatly packed aid material was kept after it was delivered by the IAF plane.

“As a First Responder, India has provided 33 tonnes of emergency relief materials for the earthquake affected families in Nepal through three special Indian Air Force flights,” the Indian Embassy statement said.