5,400 Indians evacuated from quake-ravaged Nepal

New Delhi, April 27 (IANS): A total of 5,400 Indians have been evacuated from quake-hit Nepal, officials said on Monday. “These many people have been evacuated from Nepal till now,” Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar told a press conference here.

Of these, 2,100 people were brought in by Indian Air Force planes and the rest by civilian aircraft and vehicles, he said.

The foreign secretary said the Indian government was in constant touch with the Nepal government and was coordinating with authorities there to save the trapped and affected people.

Talking about how Indian aircrafts were facing problems in landing and taking off from the Kathmandu airport, the official said that due to help pouring in from across the world there is a chaotic situation at the airport.

“We at times have lots of planes to take off for Kathmandu but we have to hold back and release them according to the situation there,” he said.

“We don’t have the exact numbers of the Indians trapped there but we have been trying our best to bring back everyone,” he added.

Jaishankar also said that aged people, women and children were being given priority to get onto the planes so they could reach home earlier.