Kathmandu(web team): The death toll in Nepal's devastating earthquake today crossed 3,200 with another 6,000 people injured as rains and fresh tremors hampered rescue efforts to locate survivors trapped under tonnes of rubble of flattened homes and buildings.
"The death toll has reached 3,218 and over 6,500 are injured," said Rameshwor Dangal, head of the home ministry's national disaster management division.
Officials said five Indians, including the daughter of an Indian embassy employee, were among those killed in the quake.
Thousands of desperate Nepalese huddled under tents and sought scarce food and medical supplies.
Latest Updates:
10:11 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
Watch: Hit by Avalanche in Everest Basecamp
10:04 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
Nepal earthquake: 291 evacuees land at Palam airport
The Ministry of Defence on Monday announced that an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying 291 passengers rescued from earthquake struck Nepal landed at the Palam airport this morning.
"#NepalEarthquake One C-17 of IAF landed at Palam from Kathmandu with 291 passengers on board at 0630 this morning," official spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Sitanshu Kar, said on twitter.
9:30 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
According to AFP reports, death toll surged to 3,218
9:29 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
Four new aftershocks of intensity 4.2, 4.4, 4.6 and 4.2 rocked Nepal in last 12 hours. The situation is only becoming grim with rain already hampering relief work.
8:25 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
Since 25 April a total of 1935 Indians have been evacuated to India via IAF aircrafts. More flights are expected today.
7:05 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
Despite bad weather in Nepal, IAF continued its ops last night.
7:08 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
Three Americans died in a massive avalanche triggered by the devastating Nepal earthquake, the U.S. State Department said on Sunday, including a medic and a filmmaker who were at a base camp for Mount Everest climbers.
The medic, Marisa Eve Girawong, was a physician's assistant who worked for Madison Mountaineering, a Seattle-based guide service, according to Kurt Hunter, the company's co-founder and chief technology officer.
Girawong, who was from Edison, New Jersey, according to media reports, was among more than a dozen people who perished in the Mount Everest avalanche.
Tom Taplin, a 61-year-old filmmaker and photographer from Evergreen, Colorado, making a documentary about the Mount Everest base camp when the avalanche hit also died, his wife Cory Freyer said on Sunday in a telephone interview.
0:05 IST Monday, 27 April 2015
In both India and Nepal, many people are spending sleepless night in the open sky fearing aftershocks.
23:50 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
India launches Operation Maitri
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.
As a top Indian official described the situation in the Himalayan nation as "very, very serious", nearly 1,000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) were also pressed into service after Nepal was struck on Saturday by the worst earthquake in 80 years, killing over 460 people. A slew of steps were also taken for speedy evacuation of stranded tourists including goodwill visas to foreigners and mobilising buses and ambulances to bring them by road. Over 1,000 people have been flown from Nepal since Saturday.
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 said at a joint news conference. 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 also present.
Giving details, Jaishankar said 546 Indian nationals were brought back on Saturday while 634 came in batches on Sunday. He said while the rescue team were trying to evacuate nationals of other countries, Indians were the obvious priority.
23:10 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
An aftershock of intensity 5.3 has just rocked Nepal and parts of India. People already living in fear have rushed out of their home. The situation is only becoming grim with rain already hampering relief work.
Image courtesy USGS. Check here for detailed information
22:50 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
21:00 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
China on Sunday announced a 20 million yuan (US $3.3 million) humanitarian aid to Nepal to deal with the massive earthquake that has killed over 2,350 people. The aid, including supplies of tents, blankets and generators, will be delivered to Nepal by chartered planes, the Ministry of Commerce said. China will offer further support according to Nepal's demands, it said.
(Reuters)
20:40 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Some Indians have got back home to reunite with their families
20:20 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
As predicted by the IMD department, it has started to rain in Nepal. Tweets emerging from Nepal paint an extremely grim picture.
Rain has also affected rescue process.
Total number of evacuated Indians stand at 1050
18:30 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said that government has decided to send a high-level team to Nepal to oversee rescue operations. It will be an inter-ministerial team. He said that evacuation via roads will also start soon and for that purpose buses are being sent there. Jaishankar conceded that rain is hampering rescue work. Some choppers had to come back due to heavy rain.
All total 540 nationals have been rescued from earthquake ravaged Nepal.
18:00 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
17:40 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
The Indian under 14 Women football team has been rescued from Nepal. They have reached New Delhi.
At least 22 climbers have died near the base camp of Mt 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. While 17 people were killed at the base camp, five more casualties were reported today from areas below the base camp, Home Ministry officials said.
15:14 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Fresh tremors shake various states, toll climbs to 57
Fresh tremors were today felt in various parts of India, including the national capital Delhi, even as the death toll in yesterday's temblor climbed to 57.
The fresh tremors, which had a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter Scale and epicentred in Nepal, were experienced in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi for over 30 seconds at 12:42 PM. No casualties or damage to property have been reported in the fresh tremors.
14:37 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Quake tremor: PM Narendra 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.
"The review meeting called by the PM at 3:30pm will be looking at the relief work and other issues arising due to the Earthquake," it added.
Fresh tremors were felt across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam earlier in the day after an earthquake of 6.7 magnitude hit east of Kathmandu. Residents evacuated buildings and rushed out in the open after tremors hit the northern region.
13:03 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Fresh tremors felt in Nepal and parts of India, triggers avalanche in Himalayas
Strong aftershock hit Nepal and parts of north India on Sunday, a day after the Himalayan nation was hit by an earthquake of magnitude of 7.9. It triggered another avalanche in the HImalayas.
The United States Geological Survey said the tremor was 6.7 magnitude, less than the 7.9 quake that struck the region on Saturday killing at least 1,900 people. Parts of north and east India too experienced the tremors. Experts have said that more aftershocks may follow for a few days, as TV channel reports. A total fo 35 aftershocks have hit the HImalayan region so far, report added.
12:45 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
17 climbers dead in quake-triggered avalanche on Mt Everest
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.
Twenty-two of the most seriously injured climbers were today ferried by helicopters, including from the Indian Air Force, to Pheriche village, the nearest medical facility, though bad weather is hampering rescue and relief operations. There were more than 100 climbers also at camps 1 and 2 on Mount Everest, above the base camp, and all are reported safe, Nepal Mountaineering Association officials said today, adding it will take time before these people can be evacuated.
Over 5,000 people were also injured in the earthquake and the dozen aftershocks that continued till today, with the strongest measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale. Climbers on Mount Everest said they saw fresh series of avalanches and a big landslide in the base camp. International teams, including from India, have touched down quake-hit Nepal that has declared a state of emergency in the wake of the disaster caused, the worst in over 80 years of Nepal's recorded history. Rescuers have been hunting for survivors under heaps of debris with bare hands as well as heavy equipment though the efforts have been hampered due to fresh tremors and thunderstorms.
Locals and tourists sifted through mounds of debris for survivors. Cheers rose when people were found alive, thought mostly bodies were pulled out. The earthquake and the aftershocks left behind a trail of death and destruction, flattening houses and buildings, including the iconic Dharhara tower and the landmark Darbar Square in the heart of the capital, trapping scores of people. Thousands of people spent last night in the open in chilly weather, anticipating more aftershocks.
1,053 people are reported killed in the Kathmandu Valley alone. Officials fear the death toll could rise as desperate search for survivors continued.
According to initial reports related to today's aftershock, a tunnel caved in at the Trishuli Hydel Project and around 60 labourers are feared trapped. MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have carried out five casualty evacuation sorties and the injured have been moved to military hospitals.
As many as 17 Mount Everest climbers, including foreigners, were reportedly killed in an avalanche triggered by the earthquake.
11:31 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
India is with Nepal in this hour of crisis. We will do all we can to help Nepal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the Mann Ki Baat show.
11:04 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Hospitals in Nepal struggling to attend to injured quake survivors
Hospitals in Nepal are reported to be struggling to cope with providing treatment to survivors of Saturday's earthquake, which has claimed the lives of over 1900 people and injured another 4700.
The earthquake, said to be the worst in 81 years, has left a trail of devastation and shocked citizens and hospital authorities have confirmed that they are struggling to receive or give timely treatment. Reports said that medical supplies are short and patients with serious injuries are dying.
10:44 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Three more NDRF teams to be sent to Nepal
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General OP Singh on Sunday said that three more teams would be sent to Nepal in wake of the massive earthquake which has claimed over 1800 lives in the country till now. "We have already sent seven teams to Nepal and three more will be sent. Our first priority is to evacuate and rescue people buried under debris in Nepal. We have life detectors and other equipments," said Singh.
The Indian Government had earlier sent four aircrafts with NDRF teams to oversee rescue and relief operations and also set up a 24-hour control room for queries regarding the tragedy. The impact of the earthquake was felt in almost all northern states in India particularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal
10:34 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Govt announces compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to families of those who lost their lives in the quake across parts of India.
10:12 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
550 Indians evacuated by IAF from earthquake-hit Nepal
Nearly 550 Indians have been evacuated by the IAF 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 on Sunday.
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. Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said Indian authorities have responded "very proactively, very swiftly and I think every agency, every stakeholder in India who matters in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Nepal in times of their need has been activated and the response has been exceptional".
9:51 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
U-14 girls team stuck in Nepal to be evacuated on priority: Sushma Swaraj
India on Sunday said that it would evacuate on priority 18 members of the country's Under-14 girls football team which is stuck in Nepal following a massive earthquake. In a tweet, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "We will evacuate India's U-14 girls football team on priority".
9:46 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Air India resumes flights to earthquake hit Nepal
National carrier Air India resumed its flights to quake-hit Nepal with two services- one each 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. Besides Air India, other domestic carriers had also cancelled their services to Kathmandu. All these carriers are also expected to resume their flights to Kathmandu today.
08:51 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
United States sending disaster team, initial $1 million to Nepal
The United States will send disaster response and rescue teams to Nepal and has authorized an initial $1 million in aid after a major earthquake killed hundreds in the mountainous Asian nation, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday. "We are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support," he said in a statement.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said in a tweet it was working with the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to launch a disaster response team and described the funding as an initial amount "to address immediate needs."
07:58 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
China sends rescue team to Nepal
A 62-member search and rescue team 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. In Tibet the quake also damaged buildings and roads and cut off telecommunications in the two counties and several neighbouring regions. So far, roads leading to the two counties have been cleared, but rescue efforts are hampered by heavy snow in the area.
07:37 IST Sunday, 26 April 2015
Rescue operation underway in Nepal, locals resort to roads for the night
A rescue operation has been underway in Nepal by the Armed Police Force (Nepal) in the wake of the massive earthquake that struck Nepal and parts of northern India and locals have resorted to spend the night sleeping on roads after the calamity as a precaution. "We do not have any actual data about how many people are actually in this building. We can see that a boy is inside the building, so we are trying to rescue him. We have been working on this rescue mission since 1.00 pm. We have rescued 50 people so far," said Inspector Ram, Armed Police Force (Nepal).
"Under my command, there are 40 people. In this area, more than 250 Armed Police Disaster Management trainers are working for rescue," he added.
Locals spent the night on roads as their homes were destroyed due to the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the country. "After the earthquake, we were told by the media that there will be earthquakes again and again. We felt the earthquake three-four times. The first one was the longest which lasted about five minutes. We lost mobile network and there was no electricity," said Pradeep Ranawat, a local.
09:15 IST Saturday, 25 April 2015
Indian Railway provides one lakh 'rail neer' bottles as relief
Indian Railway has dispatched one lakh rail neer water bottles to Kathmandu in earthquake-hit Nepal as relief material through the Indian Air Force (IAF). There are arrangements being made to provide one lakh rail neer bottles per day to help the rescue operations in Nepal.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu shared the information in a series of tweets. "Indian Railways has immediately dispatched 1 lakh Rail Neer mineral water bottles to Kathmandu through Airforce tonight," he posted.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said that Prime Minister Modi had indicated to President Ram Baran of Nepal and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala that India will do everything within its capabilities to be of help to the nation at this difficult moment. "We have set up a helpline in the ministry; the numbers have been put out. We would also request that if there are people who know that their relatives are in Nepal to send us their details. So, there is an e-mail address which is controlroom@mea.gov.in. If anybody who would like to keep us informed about their relatives and give us their contact numbers that would be very helpful for us," he added.
08:30 IST Saturday, 25 April 2015
India rushes to offer immediate relief assistance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has visited Nepal twice in his premiership, himself sat at the helm of affairs for stock taking and guiding the rescue efforts by chairing a high-level, crisis management meeting. The meeting was attended by union ministers Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, national security advisor Ajit Doval, principal secretary Nripendra Misra, additional principal secretary PK Mishra and senior officials from IMD and NDRF.
By 8:30pm, four Indian Air Force transport planes — one C 31-J Super Hercules and two C-17 Globe Master, the biggest transport planes India has — had left for Kathmandu with at least 250 specialised National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and over 100 tonne of relief and rescue material.
The fourth plane, which left at 8:30pm from Hindon airbase near Delhi, carried a fully-equipped mobile hospital with a rapid action medical team comprising of nearly 30 doctors, including orthopedics, medicines and medical equipment. The plane will put in place a fully air-conditioned, 25-bed hospital with state-of-the-art facilities and highly skilled medical personnel to assist rescued people.
Not ready to leave anything to chance, the defence ministry readied its fourth, C-130 plane to take the rest of the necessary equipment to Kathmandu. This plane was to take-off at 9:30pm.
The earthquake hit around 11:56 am with epicentre at Lamjung, around 80 kilometres northwest of Kathmandu, had its impact in several cities of Bihar, West Bengal and UP, and tremors were felt across vast stretches of east and northeast India. It was also felt in Southern and Western parts of India, China, Bhutan and as far as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Several buildings, most of them old, in the densely- populated Kathmandu Valley collapsed, killing hundreds. Over 200 bodies have been retrieved from the debris of two-century old nine-storey landmark Dharhara tower in the centre of the capital. Kathmandu's Darbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was completely damaged in the quake which was the worst to hit Nepal and surrounding regions after the earthquake of 8.4 magnitude which occurred along the Nepal-Bihar border in 1934.
With agency inputs
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