Kathmandu: Days after back-to-back earthquakes rattled the remote mountain areas of western Nepal, a third shipment of 12 tonnes of relief material from India reached the country Thursday.
November 3, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal’s Jajarkot and Rukum districts killing 153 people and injuring over 260 others. November 7, three tremors of over magnitude 4 hit Jajarkot injuring at least 16 people. The quakes damaged around 8,000 buildings, both public and private.
The November 3 quake caused the worst human and infrastructure losses since the devastating jolt of April 2015.
Soon after an Indian Air Force plane carrying over the emergency aid landed in Nepal Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted: “@IAF_MCC. Flight #3 carrying another 12 tonnes of relief material lands in Nepal. India will always remain a trusted and reliable partner.”
A banner with the words ‘Nepal India Cooperation’ surrounding the flags of the two countries and a label “Gift from people of India to People of Nepal” below it adorned the area where the neatly packed aid material was kept after it was delivered by the IAF plane.
This consignment came three days after the second such aid of nine tonnes reached here November 6 for the quake-affected families in the northwest mountainous region where people are facing a shortage of food, warm clothes and medicines as a fresh tremor struck the region.
The second consignment was transported to Nepalgunj by a special Indian Air Force C-130 and comprised essential medical and hygiene supplies, tents, sleeping bags and blankets.
The first consignment of more than 11 tonnes of relief materials was provided by India which included tents, tarpaulin sheets, blankets, and sleeping bags along with essential medicines and medical equipment November 5.
As its immediate neighbour with centuries of relations, India was the first country to dispatch emergency relief materials to the earthquake-hit districts in Nepal.
“India’s support to Nepal remains strong and steadfast in this difficult hour,” Jaishankar had posted on X November 6.
In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude quake damaged nearly 800,000 houses besides killing nearly 9,000 people, according to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment Report, 2015.
PTI
