The Nepal government has said it is not in a hurry to seek foreign help for search and rescue operations and in the management of relief distribution and other logistics in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has left a trail of destruction in western Nepal, particularly Jajarkot and West Rukum districts.

At least 157 people have been killed and nearly 400 injured in the magnitude 6.4 earthquake with its epicentre at Jajarkot’s Ramidanda that jolted Nepal and parts of India on Friday midnight.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Nepal’s immediate neighbours, India and China, and the United States have offered support with logistics, and search for the victims by sending rescue teams to the country.

“I also received several phone calls from outside the country, from nations willing to extend help to quake victims,” Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said at Nepalgunj airport on Saturday after visiting the quake-hit districts.

Dahal visited the districts early Saturday and inspected the affected areas. He said the government would first conduct a full-fledged search and rescue operation, and second provide relief and rehabilitate the displaced people.

“We are yet to make any decision on accepting foreign aid,” the prime minister said. “There will be a Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning for those decisions.”

It was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who first offered such assistance to Nepal. “Deeply saddened by loss of lives and damage due to the earthquake in Nepal,” Modi wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, early in the day, tagging Dahal. “India stands in solidarity with the people of Nepal and is ready to extend all possible assistance. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and we wish the injured a quick recovery.”

Dahal said that the government will be geared to provide relief after discussions on Sunday. “The disaster management committee will meet after the Cabinet on Sunday,” Dahal said. “We will then speed up relief and rehabilitation operations.”

The foreign ministry did not receive offers of search and rescue teams from any country, or of relief and rehabilitation supplies, according to a senior official at the ministry.

Speaking to the Post, a government secretary said the country is capable of dealing with the aftermath of the disaster. “We have enough stock of logistical materials that we received during the Covid pandemic. We have trained personnel and enough supplies for relief and rehabilitation,” the secretary said.

“Our people, mostly security agencies and medical teams, are trained and experienced in handling this kind of emergency situation after learning from the 2015 earthquake and the Covid pandemic. So there is no such rush to take external support. If any country announces support unilaterally, we will not reject it. However, we are not going to call for outside help.”

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song announced that his country will provide materials worth Rs100 million to help the survivors.

“As the first emergency response, China will provide materials worth 100 million NPRs to the earthquake-struck area, including tents, blankets from China-South Asian Countries Emergency reserve,” Ambassador Chen wrote on X. The emergency reserve was set up during the Covid pandemic in Chengdu, mostly targeting natural disasters and prompt supply of emergency goods, in April 2021. Five South Asian nations—Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh—had given their nod to the emergency reserve centre.

All the materials will arrive in a couple of days and more aid is on the way, said the Chinese ambassador.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha called a meeting of senior government officials and security agencies on Saturday morning and took stock of the situation in the worst-hit areas, ongoing search and rescue efforts, status of the local hospitals in Jajarkot and Rukum, and sending more medical teams in the quake-affected districts, according to the Home Ministry.

In the meeting, Shrestha said that he has also received words from India and China on their readiness to extend support to Nepal and quake victims.

The meeting also decided to fix Surkhet as the focal point and Nepalgunj as subordinate focal centre for the distribution of relief materials, treatment of the injured and sending logistic support. The Nepal Army’s Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) and Composite Quick Reaction Team (CQRT) are also in ready position in Kathmandu, Surkhet and Nepalgunj.

Similarly, the government has announced a financial package of Rs100 million to facilitate search and rescue efforts in Jajarkot and West Rukum. The district authorities in Jajarkot and West Rukum will get Rs50 million each for the purpose. The amount will be spent through the District Disaster Management Committees.

The meeting thanked the support and solace from different friendly countries and foreign missions, a home ministry statement said, adding that required support will be requested after further assessing the damage.

Similarly, the embassy of US in Kathmandu said that it is deeply saddened to learn of the lives lost in the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West and stated that the US stands ready to assist as Nepal recovers from the earthquake.

Meanwhile, the Office of President said that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to President Ramchandra Paudel on Saturday and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and properties. Ambassadors from several countries have also expressed their grief and sorrow over the deaths of the people due to the earthquake and spoke of their readiness to extend support to Nepal.