Operation Maitri
| Operation Maitri | |
|---|---|
| Part of 2015 Hindu Kush earthquake | |
| Operational scope | Humanitarian relief |
| Planned by | Indian Armed Forces, National Disaster Response Force and Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Objective | Undertaking relief and rescue operations in Nepal, Evacuation of Indian and foreign citizens from Nepal. |
| Date | 25 April 2015 |
| Executed by | Indian Armed Forces, National Disaster Response Force |
| Outcome | Rescue and relief operations ongoing, over 43K Indians were evacuated, over 150 foreign tourist were evacuated and were provided transit visa to as many as 785 foreigners |
Operation Maitri (English: Operation Amity) was a rescue and relief operation in Nepal by the government of India and Indian armed forces in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. India's response was started within 15 minutes of the quake. It started on 26 April 2015 and also involved Nepali ex-servicemen from India's Gurkha Regiments for interface for guidance, relief and rescue.
The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (or the Himalayan earthquake) occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April with a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent). Its epicenter was approximately 34 km (21 mi) east-southeast of Lamjung, Nepal, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 km (9.3 mi). It is the most powerful disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. The quake killed nearly 8,900 people in Nepal.
The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 17. The death toll surpassed that of the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche, making it the most lethal day on the mountain.
An Indian army mountaineering team recovered the bodies of 19 mountaineers from Everest base camp and rescued at least 61 stranded climbers from Mount Everest. Indian Air Force helicopters reached Mount Everest on the morning of April 26 for rescue operations.
The Indian Army sent a major-general to Nepal to oversee the rescue and relief efforts. The Indian Air Force mobilised its
Up to eight Mi-17 helicopters are being used for missions such as air-dropping relief materials.
As Nepal's immediate neighbour, India was the first-responder to the crisis, by providing relief "within six to seven hours of the earthquake," Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed immediate dispatch of relief and rescue teams, including medical team, to Nepal. The Indian Foreign Secretary, S. Jaishankar announced that six more National Disaster Response Force teams would be sent to Nepal in the next 48 hours. He also announced that the aircraft sent to Nepal would not just rescue Indians, but citizens of other countries as well.
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Wikipedia