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Modi pledges all-out support for devastated Nepal

(GEO-NEPAL-QUAKE) NEW DELHI, April 26 (KUNA) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promised to make all efforts to support the devastated neighboring country's rescue and relief operations.
The promise came as a new 6.7 magnitude aftershock hit Nepal and some Indian states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.
Various countries including India, Pakistan, China, Israel, the US and EU have already sent rescue teams, sniffer dogs and relief materials. However, the aftershock and bad weather coupled with avalanche triggered by the massive earthquake on Saturday have made the rescue operations highly difficult.
Modi has also called a high-level emergency meeting to assess the current situation both in India and Nepal. Meanwhile, various media outlets put the toll from the massive earthquake, with 7.8 a magnitude on the Richter Scale at 2200 while an estimated 5000 are injured.
Thousands of tourists from across the world and especially from neighboring India and China are stranded and information about many of them are not available so far.
While Indian states of Maharashtra (1400) and Andra Predesh (400) have as many as 1800 pilgrims in Nepal, information about tourists from other states is yet to emerge. Official Chinese state media reported that over 600 people from China are still stranded in Nepal.
Meanwhile, disturbed communications, avalanche and landslides are making the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of international aid groups and governments difficult. (end) atk.ibi