A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed in New Delhi around 11 p.m. on Saturday, fetching some 55 civilians, including four infants, from Kathmandu where they were stranded due to the devastating earthquake in the country just before noon.
This was the first of the air force planes to return from Nepal with Indians. A defence ministry spokesperson said another air force aircraft, C-17, would be landing around midnight with another 200 stranded passengers.
"The C130J, carrying the stranded Indians, has landed at Palam a short while ago," the spokesperson tweeted, referring to the aircraft's arrival at the air base adjacent to the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.
The spokesperson had earlier said that the Indian Air Force's C-130J would land at 10.20 p.m. at Palam airport with 55 passengers, including four infants.
"The situation there is scary. People are afraid," said noted journalist M.J. Akbar, one of the Indian passengers on board the rescue aircraft, on landing at the airport.
"Kathmandu and Nepal have suffered a major setback. At the place where we were, the entire capital city was trembling."
The rescued passengers were also heard praising the Indian authorities for a job well done.