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Nepal Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 2500 by Sunday Indian rescue team swung into action

After the recent earthquake the people of Nepal has become almost shelter less with the fear of more such tremors people are sleeping on the
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After the recent earthquake the people of Nepal has become almost shelter less with the fear of more such tremors people are sleeping on the roads in the midst of such scenario the untimely rains have added more added misery in Nepal hampering rescuers from wading through tones of rubble of flattened homes and buildings to look for survivors of the earthquake that has killed over 2,500 people, including five Indians, and left more than 6,000 others injured.

A powerful, magnitude 6.7 aftershock has shaken the Kathmandu area of Nepal a day after the massive earthquake devastated the region, sending people yelling and running for open ground. Tremors were felt in most parts of north and northeast India including Kolkata, Siliguri and Assam. Minutes after the first aftershock, Nepal felt another measuring 5.0 in magnitude.

People in Nepal praying for the speedy recovery of the nation from the disaster "LETS ALL PRAY FOR THEM"
People in Nepal praying for the speedy recovery of the nation from the disaster “LETS ALL PRAY FOR THEM”

No electricity in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, looked like a zombie town with rains pounding the city, forcing the closure of the airport where chaotic scenes were witnessed with stranded foreign tourists desperate to go home. “Still raining, adds to the misery. Only consolation is that it may ease the water crisis in some of the shelters,” Nepali Times Editor Kunda Dixit tweeted.

The Nepal authorities on Sunday have confirmed that at least 2,430 people in that country had died in Nepal alone, not including the 18 people that the Nepal Mountaineering Association says died in an earthquake-triggered avalanche on Mount Everest. Another 61 people died from the quake in India and a few in other neighboring countries. Stepping up relief and rescue operations in quake-hit Nepal, India today deployed over two dozen aircraft and choppers along with nearly 1000 trained personnel and said the situation in the Himalayan nation was “very, very serious”.

[pullquote-right]The earthquake hit a heavily populated area of Nepal, including the capital, Kathmandu, and its impact spread far beyond the Kathmandu Valley. Strong aftershocks were felt as late as Sunday morning.[/pullquote-right]

All the measures have been initiated for the speedy recovery and evacuation of the stranded tourists including goodwill visas to foreigners from quake affected areas mobilizing of buses and ambulances to bring them by road. Over 1,000 people have been flown from there since yesterday. “The activity is most likely to become widespread on April 27 and 28 with the possibility of isolated heavy thunderstorm activity, particularly over eastern part of Nepal,” the Ministry of Earth Science said in a release.

Indian Rescue Team on its way to Nepal earthquake affected areas.
Indian Rescue Team on its way to Nepal earthquake affected areas.

Meanwhile Scaling up relief and rescue efforts in quake-hit Nepal that was named ‘Operation Maitri’, India on Sunday deployed two dozen military aircraft and choppers and was also undertaking a “big evacuation” through the road route. An inter-ministerial team, headed by a top Home Ministry official, will also leave for Nepal soon to coordinate the rescue and relief efforts as part of ‘Operation Maitri’ or friendship. “I underline that rapid rescue and relief is our primary mission in Nepal. Situation in Nepal is very, very serious,” Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told the media. Home Secretary L C Goyal, Defence Secretary R K Mathur, chief of National Disaster Management Authority R K Jain and India Meteorological Department head L S Rathore were amongst the present at the press conference.

Giving details, Jaishankar said 546 Indian nationals were brought back on Saturday while 504 have already arrived on Sunday and 130 more are expected to land late on Sunday night. He said while the rescue team was trying to evacuate nationals of other countries, Indians were the obvious priority. India has deployed more military planes and in all there were 13 aircraft, six Mi-17 helicopters, two Advanced Light Helicopters while two more Mi-17 choppers were kept in standby. Ten tonnes of blankets, 50 tonnes of water, 22 tonnes of food items and two tonnes of medicines have been despatched to Kathmandu.

Three army field hospitals and engineering task force and medical units of civilian doctors have been sent to Nepal. Jaishankar said Sunday’s aftershocks have hampered the rescue and relief operations as Kathmandu airport was shut for long hours. However, the airport was later reopened. He said the government has deployed 35 buses to evacuate stranded Indians in Nepal via two routes Sunauli and Raxaul along the Indo-Nepal border

Source : Various Sources

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