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S. Korea to send additional passenger jet to Nepal

April 29, 2015
Ramaya pleads for food after an aid relief helicopter lands at the remote mountain village of Gumda, near the epicenter of Saturday's massive earthquake in the Gorkha District of Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Aid reached the hilly district for the first time Wednesday, four days after the quake struck. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Ramaya pleads for food after an aid relief helicopter lands at the remote mountain village of Gumda, near the epicenter of Saturday’s massive earthquake in the Gorkha District of Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Aid reached the hilly district for the first time Wednesday, four days after the quake struck. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) — South Korea said Wednesday it will fly a special passenger plane to and from earthquake-hit Nepal to help its nationals there return home.

Korean Air’s 261-seat Boeing 777 jet is scheduled to leave for Kathmandu at 3:15 a.m. Thursday under the decision made by the inter-agency task force on damages from the disaster that killed thousands of people.

“The plane will be used to transport emergency food, drinking water, blankets and other aid materials for our people there,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “It will then fly back to Incheon at 6:25 p.m. Thursday, carrying our nationals.”

Around 650 South Koreans reside in the Himalayan country visited by many tourists.

Currently, there are only two direct flights between South Korea and Nepal.

“For now, the special jet is supposed to be operated this week only,” a ministry official said.