Dutch team coordinates rescue operation in Nepal

THE HAGUE - The Dutch Urban Search and Rescue Team is provisionally coordinating on behalf of the UN all activities of rescue teams searching for victims of the earthquake in Nepal, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp said Tuesday.

The team will carry out the coordination from its base camp near the airport in Kathmandu, and the coordinator role will continue till the UN requests to take over, Kamp told the Dutch parliament.

Kamp said that he expects the UN to take over the coordination soon and that the Netherlands is prepared to give more support if need be.

The Dutch rescue team, consisting of 62 rescue workers and eight sniffer dogs, arrived in Nepal on Monday morning. Many rescue teams from different countries are gathering at its base camp.

The team searched for survivors at a number of places in Kathmandu, but so far only encountered deceased victims. The team also offered help to survivors.

Members of the team also left for the outskirts of Kathmandu near the epicenter. However, the earthquake destroyed the infrastructure and it will take time for the members to get there.

On Tuesday afternoon, a Dutch military aircraft arrived at Eindhoven Airport carrying 47 survivors of Saturday's earthquake. Among them were 40 Dutch nationals, mostly elderly, pregnant women or women with young children.

On Tuesday evening a Belgian military aircraft carried 54 Dutch nationals out of Nepal, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. The plane went to New Delhi and was scheduled to head for Brussels on Wednesday.

At the time of the earthquake an estimated 500 Dutch nationals were in Nepal. So far there has been no contact with around 100 of them. "But that does not mean automatically something is wrong," said Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders.

According to the International SOS organization, 12 Dutch nationals have so far been reported with minor injuries in Nepal.