Kathmandu – Two Y-20 large transport aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force carrying emergency relief supplies arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 7:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, stepping up China’s support for Nepal’s flood and landslide relief efforts.
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal H.E Zhang Maoming, Nepal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun, and member of the House of Representatives Dharma KC attended a handover ceremony for the relief supplies and welcomed four Chinese tunnel rescue experts who arrived with specialized rescue equipment.
The aircraft departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China’s Sichuan Province and reached Kathmandu after a flight of about three hours.
The two aircraft transported 13,200 items of emergency relief supplies weighing a total of 50 tonnes. The supplies include tents, blankets, sleeping bags, hard tack and first-aid kits for people affected by the recent floods and landslides.
The four Chinese tunnel rescue experts are expected to assist Nepalese authorities in rescue operations, particularly in areas where people remain trapped or affected by flooding at hydropower projects.
The emergency assistance comes after severe flooding in the Bhotekoshi River last Wednesday caused significant loss of life and property in Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts.
China has also pledged to provide 30 Bailey bridges to help restore transportation links damaged by floods and landslides, as well as 2,000 airtight body bags for the management of victims.
Rescue and technical teams from China and India have been deployed in disaster-hit areas as Nepal continues search, rescue, relief and infrastructure restoration operations.
Photo Source : Chinese Embassy in Nepal
