Nepal on Tuesday said India has led the relief and rescue operations being carried out in the quake-hit nation and was the first to rush aid to the people.

Nepal’s Ambassador to India Deepak Kumar Upadhyay said there has been “unbelievable support and assistance” from India and the assurance of help from the Indian government has been like a “blank cheque.” The Ambassador said though countries like the United States, China and Israel have been quick with relief material and help, the Nepalese people have received “overwhelming love and support” from India immediately after the quake hit on Saturday.

The embassy in Delhi, which is coordinating relief work, has also asked the External Affairs Ministry to facilitate the movement of registered NGOs, who have been recommended by the embassy and registered in India, to help in rescue and rebuilding work.

“We are getting a lot of requests from NGOs who want to go and help in Nepal, but we cannot have a rush of people there, so we have asked the MEA to help us verify the registered NGOs who can then be asked to pitch in with relief work,” the Ambassador said.

Appreciating India’s efforts, he said help started pouring in soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his counterpart.

The Ambassador said the Nepal government has opened a bank account for donations at its Delhi and Kolkata offices. He said the embassy’s bank account has already been credited with Rs. 5 lakh.