'India has been prompt in relief and rescue operations in natural calamity-hit Nepal since day one and has been playing the role of a big brother.' This is how Ambassador-designate of Nepal to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi: "India has been prompt in relief and rescue operations in natural calamity-hit Nepal since day one and has been playing the role of a big brother." This is how Ambassador-designate of Nepal to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh launching “such a large scale round the clock relief work”.

A powerful earthquake, measuring 7.9 on Richter scale, flattened homes, temples and historic structures, split open walls and roads in the bustling Kathmandu Valley — home to around 2.5 crore people — on 25 April, killing more than 4,000 people so far. The epicentre of the devastating earthquake was Lamjung, around 77 km northwest of the Nepal capital.

"We do not have words to thank the Indian government for its help in such a difficult time. Though many countries have now extended their helping hands, but the quick and effective help will be remember forever. I thank you Mr Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on behalf of the people of Nepal for assisting us in this time of difficulty,” Upadhyay told Firstpost.

He said a "formal request for necessary items" had been placed before the Indian government and India had "generously responded". "We had placed a formal request before the Government of India for necessary items like blankets, semi-cooked food, water, candles, matchboxes and necessary medical aids. India generously responded to our requests," he added.

He added that the rescuers were in “excellent” coordination with the Nepal Army. However, he expressed fear that the death toll would rise.

"The toll may rise because we are yet to receive reports from Kathmandu valley, parts of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktarpur, the high mountain areas and other sub-urban regions. The scale of devastation is so big that the death toll is getting higher and higher," he said.

Indian aircraft carrying nearly 300 disaster-response personnel and a mobile hospital landed at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on Saturday. More aircraft landed carrying rescue equipment, medical supplies and food on Sunday. Those who were stranded were also evacuated by the special Indian Air Force aircraft.

Seeking to strengthen its position as a regional power, Prime Minister Modi responded immediately to the massive quake and assured his Nepali counterpart of “full cooperation and support during the tough time”.

India has long seen Nepal as part of its sphere of influence. After assuming office of the prime minister in May 2014, Modi offered Nepal a loan of $1 billion to help build infrastructure and move forward power-trading deals so that India could harness Nepal’s abundant hydroelectric-power potential.

Modi has also highlighted at several occasions the cultural and historical closeness between the two countries.

In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’, PM Modi said on Sunday that the priority of India’s rescue teams would be to find survivors trapped in debris and save lives. He said that India would also assist Nepal with relief and reconstruction work in the days to come. "My beloved brothers and sisters of Nepal, India is with you in your sadness," Modi said in the address adding that “India will wipe their tears. We’ll hold their hands. We’ll support them in this hour of pain”.

China, which has recently increased its annual aid to Nepal by five times to $125 million and has made a huge investments on infrastructure projects like highways, power plants and factories and has also sent a 62-member rescue team there on Sunday.

With several aid groups, urgent humanitarian needs and search-and-rescue workers, the United States has also extended its disaster assistance to Nepal. The disaster struck country also got help from countries across South Asia including Mauritius, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.