New Delhi: Defence Secretary RK Mathur on Monday said that the Indian Air Force is prepared to achieve the `maximum possible` as far as rescue operations in Nepal are concerned, adding that it has evacuated over 2,000 people from the mountainous nation, with a further 1,400 people expected to be rescued.


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"Till date, on helicopters, we have rescued about 337 persons and a number of them have been shifted to military hospitals or the other hospitals. As far as the fixed wing planes are concerned, we have decided to increase the efforts a little bit more. Today our target is four C-17 aircrafts, three C-130s, three IL-76 and two AN-32s. Now between the target and the reality on the ground we may have difficulties, but the Air Force is prepared to work through the night to achieve whatever is maximum possible," Mathur told the media.


"Through Air Force, the total evacuation till date from day one is 2091 people and if the flights that we have scheduled come in, then it means another we would have been able to bring back a further 1400 people," he added.


Saturday`s earthquake, with its epicentre in Pokhra, Nepal, measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and resulted in the deaths of over 3,200 people in Nepal, with many thousands injured.


Meanwhile, the toll of casualties rose to 72 people in India, with Bihar the worst-hit state.


The calamity, one of the worst in over 80 years, was followed by 55 aftershocks.