Russian emergency ministry's plane bound for Nepal lands in Turkmenistan
MOSCOW. May 2 (Interfax) - An Antonov An-148 aircraft of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, which was to evacuate Russians from Nepal, is in Turkmenistan expecting to fly out to Delhi.
"At 06 a.m. on May 2 the An-148 plane of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is at Turkmenbashi Airport (Republic of Turkmenistan), the departure to Delhi Airport is scheduled for 1 p.m. May 2," the ministry said in a statement obtained by Interfax on Saturday.
Russian rescuers in the quake-hit Nepal have examined the rubbles at 24 buildings and provided medical aid to the eight Russians, including one child, who were accommodated at the Russian Center of Science and Culture, as well as four local residents.
"The Russian Center of Science and Culture has organized the work of admitting requests from citizens who wish to be evacuated to Russia. A total of 74 requests have been processed, 22 citizens need evacuation," the statement said.
Furthermore, Russians are being located by their requests sent to the Russian Emergency Foreign Ministry's public liaison office: "We have established the whereabouts of citizens by two requests (in all, five requests) and eight tourist groups (35 people), they don't need evacuation."
Specialists from the Research Institute of Civil Defense and Emergencies has assessed a set of the embassy's office and residential buildings using a Struna (String) mobile diagnostic device, checked four buildings (out of the total seven), none of which was found to be unsafe.
It was reported a day earlier the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry had sent a plane to Kathmandu to evacuate over 40 Russians who wish to leave Nepal.
"The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry flew out of Ramenskoye Airport to the Republic of Nepal at 8:40 p.m. to deliver an additional group of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's rescuers and evacuate Russian and foreign nationals who wish to leave the disaster zone," the ministry said.
On April 29 two special aircraft of the Emergency Situations Ministry evacuated 128 Russians and other nationals from Nepal to Moscow.
According to the latest figures, the disaster killed over 6,000 people.