Foreign Secretary, NSA ask agencies to focus on rescue work in remote areas of Nepal

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who arrived in earthquake-hit Kathmandu today, said the rescue operations in remote areas should be given priority and added that the relief materials should reach the victims in time.

The duo, who conducted an aerial survey, also directed all the Indian agencies to carry the relief and rescue operations in full swing in the quake ravaged nation.

Doval praised the rescue operations carried out by different groups.

"We went for an aerial survey and there is a lot of destruction, but the rescue operations by Nepalese Army and Indian are properly conducted," he said.

The Foreign Secretary and National Security Advisor would be meeting their counterparts in Kathmandu besides visiting the National Emergency Rescue Centre.

Sixteen teams of NDRF have been deployed in various areas of Nepal. The NDRF has rescued around 15 injured persons and retrieved 122 bodies. In addition to this, several injured and needy people have been given first aid in the medical camps set up by NDRF.

A large number of people in the affected districts are forced to live under open sky in tents set up by rescuers. Five aftershocks have been felt during last 24 hours in Nepal.

According to latest reports, Pavathok village in Sindhupalchok region was completely destroyed by the quake.

The village had around 82 houses, mostly makeshift, but now only four to five are left. The villagers are having a lot of trouble to manage their day-to-day life as no relief or any government officials reached their village.

"We are sitting in the open. We cannot do anything as our home has collapsed," said Bhidur, a villager.

"Two have been injured, but no one died. No one has come here to help us," he added.

With no means of earning for a living, the villagers said that if help doesn't come on time then people would starve.

"It's very difficult to live here as we don't have much left to eat. We have food for four to five days but after that we don't know how we will survive," said Karuna, another villager.

Meanwhile, massive relief and rescue operations are on in Nepal.

The death toll caused by the devastating earthquake and aftershocks in Nepal has reached 6110.