Rail tickets at Delhi airport for Nepal evacuees

New Delhi, April 29: Indian Railways has opened reservation counters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to provide immediate rail tickets to people evacuated to Delhi from quake-hit to help them undertake their onward journeys in a smooth manner.

"Reservation counter opened at T3 (Terminal Three), Intl (international) airport, Delhi, to provide immediate rail tickets for evacuees," said an official tweet, quoting Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.

This apart, the North Eastern Railways cleared 1,200 Nepali evacuees, while the East Central Railways made available two trains for Howrah.

Seven extra coaches were also attached on the trains in different directions to help transport the evacuees, the ministry said. [NGRI scientists to study Nepal earthquake]

The railways also distributed 722 free tickets to the needy, Minister Prabhu added.

The Indian Air Force planes were flying back Indian nationals from Kathmandu to New Delhi and they were finding it difficult to book the tickets for their onward journeys. Hence the ticket counter at the airport, a ministry official said.

Till late Tuesday, IAF had evacuated 2,865 people from Nepal to India, undertaking 36 sorties.

The defence ministry said early this morning one C-17 aircraft and another IL-76 returned with another group of 248 people and 66 people, respectively, to the Palam airport here.

IANS