IAF sends another aircraft for rescue operation in Nepal

CHANDIGARH: Indian Air Force today sent a second IL-76 aircraft from its air base here for Kathmandu to rescue people stranded in earthquake-hit Nepal.

The second IL-76 plane, the IAF's transport aircraft, took off from its air base at 7.23 AM on the rescue and relief mission to Hindon airbase (near Delhi) and will go to Kathmandu with the given load and task, an official release said.

The first IL-76 aircraft, with seven-member crew and 163 NDRF personnel, today returned to Palam airfield at 1:24 AM today and subsequently at 12 PM in Chandigarh after rescuing 152 Indian tourists from the brunt of the calamity, Air Officer Commanding (AOC), 12 Wing Air Force, Air Commodore S K Indoria said.

The Chandigarh station of IAF is fully geared to rescue the people hit by the natural disaster in Nepal, Indoria said.

"From there they airlifted 163 NDRF personnel and three sniffer dogs to Kathmandu within just 1 hour and 45 minutes," he said.

"This aircraft was the third to reach Kathmandu after a C-17 and C-130 landed on Operation Maitri undertaken by Government of India to help the earthquake hit neighbouring country," he said.

The Chandigarh-based 12 Wing of the IAF had conducted non-stop relief material for several days to evacuate hundreds of people from flooded areas of Srinagar in Kashmir Valley.