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1st LD Writethru: India rushes to send relief aid to quake-struck Nepal

Xinhua, April 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

India on Saturday reacted quickly to the major quake in neighboring Nepal by sending two relief planes of air force to disaster struck zones hours after the quake took place.

Meanwhile, India itself was badly hit by the quake, with at least 14 people killed in the eastern state of Bihar alone and an unknown number of casualties in other states, mainly in northern and eastern India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala, and assured him of all help, said officials.

Two military aircraft, a C-130 Hercules and a C17 Globemaster, took off from the Hindon air base in Delhi to Kathmandu with relief workers, medicines and blankets, said Press Trust of India.

A control room has been set up in the ministry of external Affairs to provide help and information round the clock, said the report.

Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh expressed solidarity with Nepal, saying India stands by it in this hour of distress.

India is also mobilizing mobile medical assistant units to go to Nepal.

A Nepalese diplomat in Delhi said as many as 500 people could have been killed in the 7.9-magnitude quake which is followed by at least 14 aftershocks. Endi