Thailand's 2nd batch aid to quake-hit Nepal postponed

BANGKOK, April 29 (TNA) - The Thai military has postponed sending the second batch of relief items, mostly necessities, to quake-ravaged Nepal via two C-130 transport planes due to an air traffic problem at Kathmandu's airport. The two military aircraft were earlier scheduled to depart Bangkok’s Don Mueang Royal Thai Air Force Base to Nepal on Wednesday morning and to carry with them the relief items, including power generators, water filters, drinking water, ready-to-eat food, two-ton medical supply and rescue equipment, but the Nepalese government later informed the Thai military of the problem and asked for the postponed trips. The two planes were also set to carry dozens more stranded Thai people back home, most of whom are tourists. On April 28, a C-130 military aircraft, carrying Thailand's first batch of relief supplies and 67-persnonel aid teams, left for Nepal to assist quake victims and took back with them 64 stranded Thai nationals in the South Asian nation. Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Public Health's 19-member Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) was also set to leave for Nepal on April 29, after it sent a forward team to the quake-hit nation earlier this week to assess the situation and its medical needs. The ministry was also seeking a 20-million baht-budget from the government to provide medical assistance to Nepal over the next two months. Death toll from last Saturday's powerful earthquake in Nepal, its worst one over the past 80 years, has risen to over 5,000 so far, while the number of those injured has jumped to over 10,000. (TNA)