The main mission of the team is evacuating the Indonesian citizens ..."
Kathmandu (ANTARA News) - Indonesias Air Force Boeing 737, carrying a humanitarian and evacuation team to help the Nepalese and evacuate Indonesian citizens, arrived in Nepal following a recent 7.9-magnitude earthquake.

The aircraft carrying 60 passengers and four tons of humanitarian aid supplies, which departed from Jakarta at 5:30 p.m. West Indonesia Time, on Wednesday, was seen off by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and arrived at Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, at 11:45 a.m. local time, or 1 p.m. West Indonesia Time.

Upon arrival, the team was welcomed by Indonesian Honorary Consul to Nepal Chandra Prasad Dhakal and one of his staff members and officials from the Nepalese foreign ministry and military authorities.

The aid supplies including medical equipment, tents, electricity generators, emergency hospital tents, and medical and logistical supplies were symbolically handed over to the Nepalese military representatives.

Indonesian Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwan Winataatmadja joined the delegation at Dhaka Airport in Bangladesh on Thursday morning.

"The main mission of the team is evacuating the Indonesian citizens and opening a command post to distribute Indonesian aid supplies," he affirmed.

Based on data from the Directorate of Citizen Protection and Legal Entities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 95 Indonesian citizens in Nepal of which 30 reside in Nepal and 65 are visitors.

Of the 65 visitors, 45 have been found to be good condition while 10 others are still unaccounted for, and 13 others are currently outside Nepal.

Of the 30 citizens who live in Nepal, 23 are in good condition while seven others are still incommunicado.

Until Thursday, the quake, with an epicenter between Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal, has claimed 5.5 thousand lives, wounded thousands others, and damaged infrastructure such as roads, buildings, public facilities, and bridges.

Numerous structures around Kathmandu, located several kilometers from Tribhuvan Airport, were reduced to rubble while those that remained had developed cracks.

Hundreds of evacuees have set up tents in the fields outside the airport area.

(Reporting by A. Fitriyanti/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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