The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has rescued eight people from the rubble and extricated 33 bodies of those killed in the massive earthquake that rocked Nepal on Saturday.
Over 2,000 deaths have been reported in Nepal so far, whereas more than 60 people have been killed in India. The death toll may rise in a couple of days, said an NDRF official.
“Six more relief and rescue teams are being rushed to the affected areas of Nepal. NDRF Chief O. P. Singh is also on his way to Nepal to coordinate with the Nepalese authorities,” said the official.
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A command-cum-control centre is being set up in Nepal to facilitate smooth communication between the Union Home Ministry, NDRF and the Indian Air Force officials and those engaged in rescue operations.
Seven urban search and rescue teams of NDRF, each comprising 45 personnel, have already been pressed into service in the Valley Division of Nepal, covering three districts of the Kathmandu Valley: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. “All these locations are within 10-12 km range from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu,” said the official.
Four NDRF teams were also deployed in Supaul, Motihari, Darbhanga and Gopalganj of North Bihar. They have now been kept on standby, as rescue and relief operations in these districts have been completed. Another team has been stationed at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
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Earlier on Sunday, NDRF Deputy Inspector General R.K. Rana also left for Kathmandu to supervise the relief and rescue operations.