Nepal quake: Parrikar assures prompt action from India

New Delhi: Assuring full help to Nepal in wake of the devastating earthquake, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said all resources are being mobilised to help the Himalayan country. [caption id=“attachment_2152409” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. PTI[/caption] He said IAF has been pressed into service to take NDRF teams, doctors, clothes, medicines, water among others to Nepal, where nearly 700 people were killed after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on Richter scale struck earlier in the day. “As directed by prime minister, we have mobilised all resources to support Nepal. We have at present diverted three aircraft and two helicopters to carry NDRF team, doctors, food, water and medicine among others to Nepal,” Parrikar told PTI. He added that Army chief General Dalbir Singh is in touch with his Nepalese counterpart to extend any help that the nation might need as part of search and rescue operations. Talking about the situation in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other affected states, Parrikar said he has directed all Army units and others to carry out rescue operation and extend full cooperation to local authorities. As the news of the tragic earthquake in Nepal came in, the defence ministry had immediately put the Army, BRO and IAF assets on standby. Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules has already landed at Kathmandu carrying 39 NDRF personnel and 3.5 tonnes of relief material. Defence sources said two Indian Army field hospitals and two Engineers Task Force teams have been put on emergency standby to leave for Nepal. A C-17 heavy jet aircraft with 40 rapid action medical team (RAMT) personnel and paramedics has also being pressed into service. The army is also sending Major General JS Sandhu to Nepal to oversee Indian rescue efforts in the quake-hit Himalayan country, defence sources said. Meanwhile, an Indian Army team which was on an expedition to Mount Everest recovered 13 bodies from the base camp. The Indian defence establishment has till now sent over communication equipment, fuel, earth-moving vehicles and sniffer dogs, among others, to the neighbouring country to aid in the rescue efforts, sources said. PTI