Russian plane finally takes off from India to evacuate Russian citizens from Nepal

A Russian emergencies ministry’s plane that was sent to evacuate Russian citizens from Nepal after a devastating earthquake, has finally taken off for Kathmandu after about 24-hour waiting in New Delhi, a spokesman for the Russian emergencies ministry told TASS late on Sunday.

"The Nepalese authorities have finally issues a permission for the flight of the ministry’s An-148 plane. It left the Indian capital city at 22:57 Moscow time and is heading for Kathmandu," the spokesman said. "It is planned to evacuate about 40 Russians who want to leave Nepal."

Onboard the plane there are medics, psychologists and rescuers who will join the Russian team already working in Nepal.

The plane left for Nepal on May 1. IT made a stopover in Turkmenistan for refueling.

On April 29, two Russian planes evacuated 128 people, citizens of Russia and other countries, from quake-hit Nepal.

A devastating magnitude 7.9 earthquake, the strongest one in the past 80 years, rocked Nepal on Saturday, April 25. The epicenter was located 84 kilometres away from the capital city Kathmandu at a depth of 15 kilometres. The earthquake was followed by a series of aftershocks with a magnitude ranging from 3.5 to 6.9.

According to the latest reports, the earthquake claimed more than 7,000 lives. More than 14,200 people were injured. According to Nepal’s defence ministry, the quake ruined 140,000 dwelling houses and damaged 140,000 more. The earthquake triggered snow slides at the world’s highest Mount Everest, burring about 80 climbers. Earth tremors were felt in the Indian capital New Delhi and in its eastern, northern and northeastern states, where about 70 people were killed and more than 250 injured, in Myanmar, Bangaldesh, and in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.