India sends relief to earthquake-hit Nepal using rail route

NEW DELHI: India has sent 170 tonnes of relief materials for the earthquake-hit people in Nepal through train, giving a major boost to its efforts to help the Himalayan nation.

The relief material has been sent using the rail route - from Old Delhi Railway station to Indo-Nepal border town of Raxaul.

This is for the first time that train has been used to send relief to Nepal.

Senior officials of National Disaster Management Authority have been supervising the supply of relief materials being sent through Railways to Nepal, an official release said tonight.

So far over 170 tonnes of relief material including tents, tarpaulins, blankets and dry ration have been dispatched.

Meanwhile, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, reviewed the status of rescue and relief operations undertaken by different agencies of the government in different parts of Nepal.

The National Disaster Response Force is continuing rescue and relief operations.

NDRF teams have been able to rescue 11 persons out of 16 persons rescued altogether.

All these 11 persons rescued by NDRF teams are Nepalese citizens, the release said.