A total of 5,400 Indians have so far been evacuated from quake-hit Nepal, officials said on Monday. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told a press conference that of these, 2,100 people were brought in by Indian Air Force planes and the rest by civilian aircraft and vehicles. 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.
“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 number 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.
Meanwhile, at least 250 Keralites were said to be stranded in Nepal and efforts were on to bring them back safely, Kerala Minister K C Joseph said. The minister presently in New Delhi to monitor the evacuation of Keralites, said though they do not have the exact number of Keralites stranded in Nepal, as per information with the Government, 250 people from the state have to be evacuated. For the families of three young doctors from Kerala, it was a nightmarish experience as they are awaiting news about their wards. While one of the doctors - Dr Abin Suri has been rescued with serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kathmandu, his two friends Dr Irshad and Dr Deepak Thomas are said to be safe.
