The National Security Council (NSC) today activated its operations to bring back Malaysians stranded in Nepal, following an earthquake yesterday afternoon.

NSC secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said it was decided that the Malaysians would be brought back in a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Hercules C-130 aircraft which would depart the RMAF base in Subang this afternoon for the Kathmandu International Airport.

"We received instructions from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak this morning...what is priority now is to bring back all the Malaysians who are stranded," he told Bernama when contacted here today.

He said the mission would include a SMART team from the NSC, the Malaysian Red Crescent and several members of MERCY Malaysia.

Mohamed Thajudeen also said the number of stranded Malaysians could not yet be determined and efforts were being made with Wisma Putra and the Malaysian Embassy in Nepal to trace them.

Meanwhile, executive director of MERCY Malaysia, Ahmad Faizal Mohamad, told Bernama that it was ready to assist the mission with its team of seven members including five doctors who would provide medical service.

"In the first mission, we will send emergency response unit medical personnel as an advance team before subsequent missions which will comprise more than 20 doctors," he said.

He added that various medications and logistic provisions would also be sent on the missions.

According to media reports, the number of people who died in the earthquake had exceeded 1,800.

The earthquake which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Nepal between its capital city Kathmandu and the town of Pokhara, at 2.56 pm Malaysian time yesterday.

As of yesterday, all Malaysians registered with the Malaysian Embassy and Kathmandu and the High Commission Office in New Delhi, were reported to be safe.