Nepal temblor: Tent cities spring up

KATMANDU: Tent cities have sprung up for those displaced by the earthquake in Nepal, which is now reported to have killed over 2,500 people. Many residents of the capital, Katmandu, lost their homes as a result of the tremor. And others are afraid to return home — especially after strong aftershocks hit the region on Sunday.
There is still time to save lives — that’s why governments and aid agencies Sunday rushed doctors, volunteers and equipment to Nepal without waiting for the dust to settle.
Substantial logistical hurdles remain, but there were hopeful signs as Katmandu’s international airport reopened after Saturday’s crushing earthquake, and some aid vehicles were able to travel overland from Indian to the stricken Nepalese city of Pokhara.
The UAE deployed an 88-member search-and-rescue team to Nepal Sunday, and the Emirates Red Crescent also sent a team. European nations deployed as well: France said it would send 11 rescuers on Sunday; Britain announced that an advance team of eight had been sent and that a £5 million aid package would be available under a rapid response plan; and the Swiss Foreign Ministry said a team of experts including a doctor, a building surveyor and water quality technician had left for Nepal on Sunday.
Volunteers from various British charities gathered at London’s Heathrow Airport getting ready for overnight flights to the Nepal region.
Gary Francis, leader of the Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters group, said the group is bringing in enough tents, food and water to operate self-sufficiently for 15 days.
They are bring in “a vast array” of equipment including sound and vibration detectors, seismic listening devices, and cutting equipment, with an eye toward finding survivors.
“Once we are there we’ve got the ability to carry out a coordination role or urban search and rescue looking for survivors trapped in collapsed buildings,” he said.