New Delhi

Two teams of Indian volunteers have been sent to open ‘Langars’ to feed about 20,000 people every day in quake-ravaged Nepal.

“One Langar team of 25 men with 24 metric tonnes of supplies from Haryana is being sent to Kathmandu today.

“Another Langar team of 18 men with 30 metric tonnes of supplies from Punjab will be sent tomorrow. Each of these teams is capable of providing cooked meals for 10,000 people every day for a period of one month,” an official release issued after a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajith Seth said.

The statement said a total of 1,052 citizens were rescued or evacuated by Indian teams to military hospitals so far.

It added 152 tourists including 19 foreign mountaineers were also rescued while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel rescued 11 persons and 115 bodies from under the debris.

Talking about the help extended to the people coming out of the quake crisis, the government said a total 9,509 people were evacuated by air while 785 foreigners were give gratis (good will) Visas.

“1,245 foreigners entered India with Visa or Transit Visa,” it added.

Detailing the volume of aid dispatched to the eastern neighbour, the statement said 95 assorted tents and 3,030 blankets had reached Kathmandu while 2,450 blankets and 180 tents in four trucks were enroute to Kathmandu from Kanpur.

“Ten trucks each with mineral water, dry food and one truck carrying medicines to Nepal has been sent from Uttar Pradesh,” it said adding 37 metric tonnes of food, 22 metric tonnes of milk and milk products (including baby food), 112 metric tonnes of mineral water, 14 metric tonnes of noodles is planned to be sent to Kathmandu today. .

In terms of medical aid, 15 metric tonnes of medical supplies, 18 oxygen concentrators, a water purifier with a capacity of 3,000 liters per hour has been sent to Kathmandu.

“Three mobile Army hospitals have been deployed at Lagankhel and Senamangal and medical aid has been provided to 584 Nepalese people. Also, two medical teams at Barpak have provided aid to 260 locals,” it said.

The NDRF, it said, has also sent 21 VSAT terminals to establish internet connectivity in the area of their operations.

On the home front, the statement said a total of 78 people have been killed and 560 injured after the quake which struck Nepal and India on April 24.

“58 people have been killed in Bihar, 16 in Uttar Pradesh, three in West Bengal and one in Rajasthan,” it said.

The NDRF has rescued 180 people from Darbhanga, it said.

An NDRF statement meanwhile said Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Army chief visited the devastated sites at Balaji bypass and reviewed the rescue done by the force at this spot.

– PTI