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India has evacuated 2500 stranded Indians, even as a fresh feeble tremor on Monday jolted the battered Himalayan nation.

With rumours swirling around about another strong quake hitting Kathmandu, people on Monday are set out to leave the capital in vehicles and on foot, reports said. The death toll in Saturday’s earthquake that hit Nepal climbed to 4, 000 and the number of injured was over 6, 500, Home Ministry said.

Local media said that thousands of people who had gathered at Kalanki through which most outbound vehicles usually pass, tried to take public transport, small cargo vehicles, and were willing to pay hefty fare. Those who could not board the buses, trucks and micro buses, left on foot.

Meanwhile, tourists, including, Indians, are believed to be trapped inside the rubble of inside Hotel Budget off Thamel, the tourist hub in the capital. The hotel, which is very close to Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, had about 20 guests, Inspector S. D. Kharka of Armed Police Force told The Hindu. “Some guests who were having lunch managed to escape when the quake hit on Saturday, but those in their rooms could not.” More

Helplines

National disaster helpline number 1078 has been made operational. People can dial using STD code 011.

Modi donates to PM relief fund

Prime Minister Narendra Modi donated one month’s salary to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for assistance to those affected by the recent earthquake within the country, PMO said. Members of Lok Sabha also decided to donate one month’s salary for earthquake assistance. More

Appeal for more help

Lila Mani Poudyal, the government’s chief secretary and the rescue coordinator, appealed for more help from the international community, saying Nepal was short of everything from paramedics to electricity. “We are appealing for tents, dry goods, blankets, mattresses, and 80 different medicines,” he told reporters. “We don’t have the necessary helicopters or the expertise to rescue the people trapped.”

Don’t pay heed to rumours on quake, appeals Govt.

“Many comments come on social media that earthquake is going to happen at this hour. We should adopt restraint and not spread rumours on social media. I also appeal to people not to pay attention to such rumours being spread on social media,” Telecom and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Members of the House praised the government’s role in relief and rescue operations in quake-hit Nepal. Here’s what they had to say.

Rain stalls rescue work in Nepal