ILAM: A total of 400 women and children have been rescued from various Nepal-India border points in the past eight months from 51 districts of Nepal, shows a data made available by the Maiti Nepal.

The non-government organisation said the rescued women and children were likely being taken for trafficking, being lured with the promise of better jobs in India.

The rescued, mostly belonging to the 16-18 age group from the districts, have been handed over to their families, informed Hom Dhakal, coordinator of the Pashupatinagar branch of the Maiti Nepal.

However, Dhakal added that this was only the tip of the iceberg as the applications filed by respective families suggested that the whereabouts of many other children and women were yet to be traced.

The figures were higher from districts badly hit by the earthquake of April 25 last year including Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok, Dolakha and Ilam, he added.

Ilam Police said people in the age of 16 to 40 are more vulnerable to trafficking.