1,935 Indians evacuated from Nepal

A total of 1,935 Indians have been brought back from earthquake-battered Nepal since Saturday, and more are expected to land on Monday evening, the defence ministry said.

The rescue and relief operation, named "Operation Maitri", meanwhile continued overnight despite inclement weather.

Defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar told IANS that Indian Air Force (IAF) flights landed here with more rescued people on Monday morning and would return to Nepal with relief material.

"As of now, the IAF has evacuated 1,935 people from Kathmandu utilising 12 sorties," Kar said.

The spokesperson said the IAF continued with its operations Sunday night despite bad weather.

The latest plane to land in New Delhi from Kathmandu was a C-17 with 291 passengers on board.

The Rapid Action Medical Team of the IAF is ready with medicines and equipment to open a first aid unit at Lagankhel on the outskirts of the Kathmandu airport, Kar said.

"Three doctors and 25 paramedics will man the centre," he said, adding that six medical teams and an engineer task force, besides blankets, tents and other relief items were being flown in to Nepal.

One C-17 aircraft with 58 tonnes of water flew to Kathmandu on Monday.

Among the material being sent to Nepal are medical teams, engineers, Reverse Osmosis plants to purify water, oxygen regenerators, medicines, blankets and tents.

Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force have also left for Nepal where a devastating earthquake on Saturday has claimed more than 3,200 lives, injured many thousands and caused widespread destruction. - IANS