NDRF personnel prepare to leave for Myanmar with relief materials for the earthquake- hit.
NDRF personnel prepare to leave for Myanmar with relief materials for the earthquake- hit.
India joined the international rescue and relief operation in earthquake-hit Myanmar in the wee hours of Saturday, sending a ship and aircraft laden with relief material as part of a multi-force exercise christened Operation Brahma.
Through the day, two more aircraft and a ship left for Myanmar ferrying rescue personnel, a canine squad and a fully equipped field hospital with doctors and support staff besides more relief material in keeping with India’s reputation of being a reliable first responder — a policy set in place by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the 2004 tsunami.
Soon after the quake hit Myanmar on Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had articulated India’s willingness to extend a helping hand to the bordering country that is in the throes of a civil war, which has resulted in large tracts being under rebel control.
As the aid was being dispatched, Modi spoke to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. "Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour. Disaster relief material, humanitarian assistance, search & rescue teams are being expeditiously dispatched to the affected areas as part of #OperationBrahma," he said in a post on X.
The relief and rescue operation officially began with INS Savitri setting sail from Visakhapatnam at 2am with relief material. An hour later, an Indian Air Force aircraft took off from the Hindon airbase near Delhi with relief items. The airlifted cargo has already landed in Yangon and the material has been handed over to the authorities in Myanmar, external affairs ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.
On whether India would extend its assistance to rebel-held areas, Jaiswal said Operation Brahma would be carried out in coordination with the Myanmar government.
A second aircraft with search and rescue personnel from the National Defence Response Force, equipment and a canine squad reached Myanmar on Saturday evening. They were flown in a C130 to capital Naypyidaw. The NDRF team will proceed to Mandalay, one of the worst hit areas, on Sunday and become the first rescue team to reach the area, the external affairs ministry said.
Earlier in the day, the Chinese embassy in Myanmar announced that a 37-member rescue and medical team from China's Yunnan province had arrived at Yangon, becoming the "first international rescue force that arrived in Myanmar within 18 hours".
A third tranche of support from India comprises a field hospital with a 118-strong team of doctors and medics. They will fly out of Agra on Saturday evening for Napyidaw. The team will include personnel who were part of Operation Dost, India's relief and rescue mission during the Turkey earthquake of 2023.
Besides INS Savitri, INS Satpura also set sail for Yangon on Saturday from Visakhapatnam. Two more naval ships with disaster relief material are being readied at Port Blair.