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120 British nationals flown home from Kathmandu

Thursday, 30 April 20153 min read

Flights are now operating out of Kathmandu Airport following the Nepal earthquake which killed around 5,000 people.

The FCO updated its travel information to say that the road to Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport was open and regular carriers like Qatar Airways and Etihad were now operating.

It also confirmed that a Briton with dual nationality who had been living in Hong Kong, was among those killed.

The government is also ‘urgently investigating’ reports a further British national was killed at the Everest base camp.

Around 120 British nationals have arrived back in Stansted this morning.

Foreign secretary Philip Hammond said more UK nationals would be brought home in the next few days on returning UK military flights from Kathmandu.

He said more than 300 who had no accommodation are now being hosted by the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

"The situation remains extremely challenging due to widespread infrastructure damage caused by the earthquakes, landslides and avalanches," he said.

"Search and rescue teams, medics and our armed services are on the ground now helping British nationals and others in need. Hundreds of Britons have now been accounted for and our teams are working closely with the Nepalese army and authorities to locate British nationals in remote areas and get them to safety.

"We know that this is an agonising time for those who are waiting for news of loved ones. But the scale of the disaster and the limited communications means that it may be some time before we can account for everyone. Many are likely to be in a place of safety but not able to communicate easily."