We must thank our armed forces, NDRF teams, doctors & all those volunteers who are overcoming every obstacle to restore normalcy in Nepal. 12 PM - 27 Apr 2015
India has deployed over two dozen aircraft, including helicopters, and nearly 1,000 trained personnel to assist quake-hit Nepal as part of Operation Maitri, which translates as friendship.IAF Wing Commander Rajesh said, "Kathmandu is at very high altitude and we have got hills all around the place,”“Weather was quite bad and not safe for conducting operations, so we had to divert. We will be making a fresh attempt and hopefully the weather should be with us.”
The Indian government is pulling all stops to support its strategically important neighbour as Nepal grapples with the scale of Saturday's earthquake. On Apr 27 the Indian Air Force (IAF) faced hurdles getting aircraft, including a C-130 transport plane carrying tonnes of food, medical and relief supplies, into earthquake-hit Nepal. Rains and aftershocks have slowed operations in the Himalayan country as the death toll passed 3,500 from the devastating weekend earthquake.
Indian military forces have also stepped up efforts to evacuate Indians stranded outside of the capital Kathmandu. Earlier the IAF evacuated 1900 people, including some foreign tourists, back to India. “My children were playing outside when the earthquake happened,” said Sonia, an evacuated Indian national. “The moment the earthquake struck I ran down to save my children; I sprained my leg but I saved them first."
As part of Operation Maitri, the Indian foreign ministry has set up helplines and announced compensation for Indian families who have lost relatives in the disaster. In addition to rescue forces, the government will send a team from various ministries to co-ordinate its relief efforts. Other personnel of India's National Disaster Response Force such as civilian doctors are also poised to join the effort.India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday tweeted his appreciation for his countryman's efforts across the border.
A team of doctors from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is in Gokarna - a village 10km from Kathmandu - to treat victims of the earthquake in Nepal. “We currently do not know how many victims there are in the remote villages who have no access to help,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Adrian Tan, commander of the SAF medical team. “However, we have been told we are the first foreign medical team down here and therefore, we feel that we contribute most significantly in this area.”
The doctors have also set up their mobile clinics at a local temple, which is a familiar community gathering point for the villagers, so it is easy for them to access it. So far, they have treated at least 300 villagers.
Lieutenant-Colonel Tan revealed that the team will continue to see to the locals in Gokarna over the next few days: “We will continue to treat any casualties that come in and we are also here to support the local clinic, even as they run out of medication. We are here to see the local ailments that are a result of the earthquake.”
The supplies from Singapore include resuscitation and surgical equipment, as well as medicine to treat common ailments. More supplies can be flown in to meet demand and the team have revealed that they are prepared to stay for as long as it is needed.
