Kathmandu, Aug 27 (PTI) More than 40 charter flights by private helicopters have taken off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday to carry relief supplies to flood-affected areas
of Nepal, including Rasuwa, authorities said.
The flights were coordinated and managed by the Nepal Army, with its 14th battalion stationed at the airport overseeing the transportation of relief materials from a collection centre to private helicopters, the Kantipur newspaper reported.
The flash floods have caused widespread devastation across three districts of Nepal, with the death toll rising to 270 after 93 more bodies were recovered, Nepal Police said on Thursday.
According to an official at the Kathmandu Airport Office, more than 40 private helicopter charter flights had been completed by 2 pm, while over 20 helicopters remained on standby at the airport, Kantipur reported.
The Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs was also preparing to mobilise some of the helicopters stationed at the airport for rescue and relief operations in the affected areas, it said.
Nepal Army helicopters have also been making regular flights to flood-hit areas to rescue civilians and transport relief materials, according to the report.
The flash floods on Wednesday struck areas along the Bhotekoshi River and triggered one of Nepal’s worst disasters in recent years, with authorities racing to locate thousands of missing people.
Armed Police Force personnel and local residents have been deployed to clear the blocked roads. Security personnel and locals are working to remove the debris and resume traffic along the route.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday visited Bidur Municipality of Nuwakot district for the inspection of the flash flood affected areas. Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamshal also accompanied him during the visit, according to the Prime Minister’s office.
The team left Kathmandu by road for Bidur, one of the areas hardest hit by the floods.
Prime Minister Shah has been actively overseeing rescue and relief efforts since floodwaters from the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa caused widespread damage in riverside settlements on Wednesday. PTI FHK FHK FHK
