Live! Air services resumed to quake-hit Kathmandu

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Sun, 26 April 2015

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21:14 Air services resumed to quake-hit Kathmandu

Air services to Kathmandu today resumed though the airport in the quake-hit Nepalese capital had to be shut down for several hours in the afternoon due to a powerful aftershock.

While national carrier Air India operated only two flights out of the five services it had planned to fly and cancelled the remaining three, private carriers SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Airways operated their services later in evening.

The death toll in Bihar due to yesterday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake mounted to 51 today amid reports of widespread damage to property and crops from various parts of the state.

At least 173 persons were also injured in the massive temblor, according to a report by the Disaster Management Department control room.

We are going to send a senior level team to Nepal to coordinate everything: S Jaishankar.

"Hope to get some people out by road."

"Our control room people confirmed that every call and every mail is being replied to"

18:21 Quake relief in India

Home Secretary L C Goel on number of casualties in India:

As of now reports 62 casualties 259 injured in India.

4 teams of NDRF in Bihar and 1 in Bihar have been deployed, says Goel.

Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar briefs the media about operation Maitri.

Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar: Out of 13 aircraft, 5 have landed but there was was bit of a break.

Today 3 more NDRF teams have gone in. Next- NDRF teams will also go.Tents, food materials, water also been despatched.

Mi17 choppers active in rescuing those stranded in Kathmandu.

Rapid rescue and relief operation is our primary focus. 540 Indians have been brought back, says Jaishankar

18:10 Nepal quake: PM Modi takes stock of situation

Nepal quake: Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes stock of situation, directs speeding up of efforts to save and evacuate people from Nepal.

17:37

Nepal urgently appeals for body bags, tents & water as death toll tops 2,300 (via @BBCSanjoyM)

17:20 Sikh community to send 25,000 food packets every day to Kathmandu

Religious bodies of Sikh community - Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee - will send 25,000 food packets to Kathmandu each day from tomorrow.

A direction to this effect was given to the two bodies by Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal, a party spokesman said.

A major fire broke out on the third floor of Citi Mall in the New Market area on Sunday afternoon.

Around 20 fire tenders were pressed into service, which were prompt to bring the flames under control.

Thick plumes of black smoke engulfed the entire building when the fire was noticed at around 12:30 pm. However, there were no casualties.

IAF C-17 Globemaster plane from Nepal with 225 rescued Indians arrives at Palam Airpiort, says Foreign Ministry.

The Kathmandu airport has reopened for rescue operations.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said six more teams of the National Disaster Response Force are being sent to Nepal in addition to the 10 teams that have already been rushed for quake relief.

Singh, who reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations in quake-hit areas of Nepal and India on Sunday, tweeted: "Six more NDRF teams will be despatched to earthquake affected areas in Nepal. 10 teams were already pressed into action."

A total of 311 pilgrims and tourists from Tamil Nadu are stranded in quake hit Nepal and efforts have been taken to ensure their safe return, besides setting up help desks, the state government said today.

"After the quake, Tamil Nadu government immediately took efforts to see if people from the State were stranded in Nepal and to rescue them," an official release here said today.

16:15 Another voice silenced

The assassination of Sabeen Mahmud, director of T2F, a self-described community space for open dialogue in Karachi, is a desperate, tragic confirmation that Pakistan's long slide towards intolerance and violence is continuing, and even quickening.

Profoundly troubling too are the circumstances surrounding Mahmud's murder.

On Friday, T2F hosted the Baloch missing-persons activist Mama Qadeer, after the Lahore University of Management Sciences cancelled an event with Mr Qadeer earlier this month under pressure from the intelligence agencies.

16:08 Kunal Deshmukh safe after Nepal earthquake

Bollywood director Kunal Deshmukh, who was in Kathmandu when a powerful earthquake rocked Nepal and neighbouring places yesterday, is safe and waiting to return.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt took to twitter to inform that he spoke to the "Jannat" director, who assured him that he was fine.

"Just talked to Kunal and Sonali. They are both sitting on the Kathmandu runway waiting for an aircraft to carry them back home," Bhatt posted on twitter.

Apart from the issue of undervaluing the CSK franchise, another issue that can land Srinivasan in thick soup is the issue of allegedly paying Rs 14 crores of BCCI's money to a London-based private agency to spy on other BCCI members, tapping their phones and tracking their e-mails in the process.

15:32 Fresh quake: PM Modi calls for high-level meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a high-level meeting at 3.30 p.m. today to review the situation, following fresh earthquake in Nepal, and to take stock of the relief work.

The Prime Minister's Office took to twitter to share the news."Today at 3:30 PM the Prime Minister has called a high level meeting to review the situation arising due to the Earthquake," the PMO tweeted.

Ambassador-designate of Nepal Deep Kumar Upadhyay today expressed gratitude to India for its quick response in helping its quake-hit neighbour as round-the-clock rescue work began there.

He thanked the Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh for launching such a large scale rescue operations in Nepal. "India has been kind enough for this type of rescue operation. The Indian Prime Minister and Home Minister talked to me," he said.

As India launched 'Operation Maitri' to support the quake-relief efforts in Nepal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said that the aim of the government is to be the first to respond to any crisis in the neighbourhood and to do so in a "quick span of time".

He said that the country has always helped other nations in times of crisis and the difference now with the Narendra Modi government at the helm was that such efforts were initiated "very swiftly".

All relief operations headed to Kathmandu have been kept on hold till 4 PM today due to fresh tremors in Nepal, according to the Defence Ministry.

A powerful 6.7-magnitude aftershock jolted Nepal and adjoining areas today, triggering panic among the people, a day after a devastating temblor killed over 2,000 people.

"All movement to Kathmandu has been kept on hold till 1600 Hrs due to fresh tremors in Nepal," Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said. India plans to fly at least 10 aircraft today to Nepal carrying special equipment, medicines, water and personnel.

Air relief operations to Kathmandu have been kept on hold till 4pm following fresh tremors in Nepal. Kathmandu airport has been shut down again.

Prime Minister Modi has called together a high-level meet to review the situation following the fresh 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Nepal.

The Delhi and Kolkata metros have resumed operation after being temporarily suspended after the tremors in North India.

13:20 Nepal's Lamjung epicentre of fresh quake

In Delhi Metro services were curtailed following the latest tremors.

The epicentre of recent tremor was Nepal's Lamjung and measured 6.9 on Richter Scale.

Fresh tremor were experienced in several parts of India including Sikkim, West Bengal, Patna, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi-NCR for over 30 seconds at 12:42 pm.

13:12 Fresh 6.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal

A fresh 6.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Nepal.

Fresh tremors were felt in Delhi, UP, Bihar, W Bengal, Assam.and other parts of north India on Sunday.

Nepal MET says more aftershocks are expected.

Residents evacuated buildings after tremors were felt in Lucknow.

At least 17 bodies have been recovered at the base camp on Mount Everest where hundreds of climbers, including many foreigners, are stranded after an avalanche triggered by Nepal's massive earthquake slammed into a part of the camp on the world's highest peak.

More than 60 climbers were injured and hundreds of foreign adventurers, hikers and guides at the base camp were feared missing when the avalanche swept down the Everest and buried under snow a section of the mountaineering camp yesterday.

Over 500 passengers including many infants arrived in Delhi by Air Force planes late Saturday night and in the early hours today after being evacuated from Nepal.

The first Indian Air Force plane to arrive from Kathmandu was a C-130J Super Hercules carrying 55 passengers, including four infants, at around 10:45 p.m yesterday, followed by a C-17 Globemaster III, a little after midnight with 101 passengers and an infant. In the early hours today, an IL-76 aircraft brought back 152 passengers. Soon after - around 4.45 a.m - another C-17 Globemaster III returned with 247 Indians.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today assured quake-hit Nepal that the world body will mount a major relief effort and support it in dealing with the humanitarian crisis.

Ban sent his deepest condolences to the Nepali government and to all those affected by the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted the country yesterday, killing nearly 2,000 people and injuring 5,000 others and said the UN will help the government in coordinating international search and rescue operations.

India today said it would try its best to "wipe the tears" of the people of Nepal and do all it can to help them tide over the crisis following the devastating earthquake.

"My dear brothers and sisters of Nepal, India is with you in this hour of grief. .... For 125 crore Indians, Nepal is their own. India will do its best to wipe the tears of every Nepali, hold their hands and stand with them," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in radio programme 'Mann ki Baat'.

'Mann ki baat karne ka mann nahi ho raha aaj': PM Narendra Modi on 'Mann ki baat'.

Says, Nepal's pain is India's pain. India is with Nepal in this hour of crisis. We will do all we can to help Nepal.

The death toll in Nepal from the devastating earthquake mounted to 1,911 today as rescue efforts intensified.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP Government at the Centre on Sunday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in the massive earthquake that hit India's northern region yesterday.

The Prime Minister's Office shared the news via twitter."GoI has announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to families of those who lost their lives in the Earthquake across parts of India," the PMO tweeted.

Nearly 550 Indians have been evacuated by the Indian Air Force from quake-hit Nepal even as India stepped up its relief and rescue mission with 10 flights and 12 helicopters scheduled to carry specialists and equipment to Kathmandu today.

Since 10:40 pm last night, four IAF aircraft have landed from Nepal with 546 Indians on board.

The first aircraft to land was a C-130J with 55 passengers on board, including four infants, a defence spokesperson said today.

Around midnight, a C-17 aircraft landed with 102 passengers which was followed by an IL 76 with 152. Around 4 am, a C17 landed with 237 passengers, all who were evacuated following the massive earthquake that has claimed over 1800 lives.

09:37 Air India resumes flights to Nepal

India's national carrier Air India resumed its flights to quake-hit Nepal with two services -- one from Delhi and Kolkata -- leaving for Kathmandu early this morning.

Both the flights left around 7:30 am with 118 and 45 passengers on board each plane, an Air India spokesperson said.

Air India operates three services to Kathmandu, including two daily services from the national capital. The Kolkata-Kathmandu-Kolkata flight is, however, operated four times a week.

Air India would also fly one additional flight, each from New Delhi and Kolkata with relief material along with the scheduled flights, the spokesperson said.

These services are being operated to accommodate the passengers of the two scheduled flights, which were cancelled yesterday after the Tribhuvan International Airport was closed for few hours due to the devastating earthquake, later in the day.

Another batch of around 100 Indians, who were stranded in earthquake-hit Nepal, were flown back to New Delhi last night in an Indian Air Force plane from Kathmandu.

The second batch of around 100 Indians arrived in IAF's C-17 aircraft, which had earlier flown to Kathmandu from here with 96 NDRF members with 15 tonnes of relief material, landed at Palam airport at around 0020 hours,

Defence Ministry officials said. With this a total of around 155 Indians, including four infants, have been brought back, he added. The first batch of 55 Indians, including four infants, were brought in C-130J aircraft from earthquake-hit country.

09:31 China sends 62-member team for Nepal relief

A 62-member search and rescue team from China has left for Nepal to carry out humanitarian rescue there. With six sniffer dogs and relevant rescue and medical equipment, the team is expected to arrive in Kathmandu midday today on a chartered plane, the China Earthquake Administration said.

Of the rescuers, 40 are from the 38th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army, Beijing Military Area Command. Twenty percent of the experienced rescuers have participated in international rescue missions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday sent a message of condolence to Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav over the disastrous earthquake, worse in over 80 years of Nepal's recorded history. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, as well as in his own name, Xi offered his deep condolences to the victims in the earthquake, and offered sincere sympathies to those injured as well as to the families of the victims.

In his message, the Chinese president also expressed his confidence in the Nepalese government, under the leadership of Yadav, to combat the disaster and China's willingness to provide all necessary assistance.

09:30 Tibet's earthquake toll climbs to 17

Death toll in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has risen to 17 in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit neighbouring Nepal yesterday.

Nearly 1,500 people, including two Indians, have died in Nepal and hundreds are feared missing, after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake tore through that country flattening houses and buildings including the iconic Dharhara tower and landmark Darbar Square in the heart of its capital.

The death toll in Tibet has climbed to 17 after the powerful earthquake struck neighbouring Nepal, local authorities said today.

President Pranab Mukherjee tonight spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Ram Baran Yadav and expressed deep shock over the damage caused by the powerful earthquake which shook the neighbouring country. Mukherjee spoke over telephone to Yadav and enquired about the latest situation and assessment of people killed in the earthquake, a statement from Rashtrapati Bhawan said.

The President assured Yadav of fullest cooperation and all possible assistance to Nepal from India, it said, adding that "people of India are with the people of Nepal in the hour of crisis." He also condoled the death of those killed the worst earthquake in 80 years. Nearly 1,500 people were killed when quake measuring 7.9 on Richter scale, which was followed by 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater struck Nepal today.

The earthquake with epicentre at Lamjung, around 80 kms northwest of Kathmandu, had its impact in several cities in Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh as tremors were felt across vast stretches of east and northeast India.

00:27 Top headlines of the last 24 hours

Devastating 7.9 quake kills over 1,500 in Nepal
Nepal quake claims 51 lives across India, NDRF teams sent to Bihar, UP
200 bodies retrieved from debris of Nepal's historic tower
Mumbai model was raped, confirms medical report
Nepal earthquake is an eerie reminder of 1934 tragedy

Eighteen members of India's Under-14 girls football team find themselves stuck in Nepal following a massive earthquake, amid anxious wait that the rescue team sent from their home country will fly them out of the devastated Himalayan nation.

The scared Indian girls and two support staff have decided to sleep outside their rooms at Hotel View Bhrikuti in Kathmandu for the fear of further aftershocks.

They were practicing in the stadium for the third-place play-off against Iran when the earthquake shook the venue and adjoining areas. The Indian team had earlier lost to hosts Nepal in the semifinals yesterday.

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