Following the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria, the government launched a humanitarian response on Tuesday, deploying a C-17 aircraft with search and rescue workers, dog units, medicine and other relief supplies. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said a second Air Force plane with more relief material was ready to depart.
The death toll in Turkey and neighboring Syria has risen to nearly 5,000 after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and several aftershocks hit the region since Sunday. The quake was centered in Turkey’s southeastern Kahramanmaras province, but tremors were felt as far away as Cairo, Egypt and even Greenland, more than 5,500 km away.
“India’s first C17 flight carrying over 50 NDRF search and rescue personnel, specially trained dog units, drilling machines, relief material, medicines and other essential tools and equipment arrived at Adana, Turkey,” Jaishankar tweeted on Tuesday morning.
“The second plane is preparing to depart.
“India expresses its solidarity at this challenging time,” he added.
A total of 101 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel from two Ghaziabad-based teams and another from Kolkata (and their equipment) are on board the C-17 to Turkey, an NDRF officer told.
In the past, the NDRF has offered assistance in similar situations – the 2011 triple disaster in Japan (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown) and the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
The Army has mobilized an 89-member medical team from the Agra-based Army Field Hospital to provide medical support to the affected people in the region.
The team includes critical care specialist teams including orthopedic surgical team, general surgical specialist team, medical specialist teams among other medical teams.
The teams are equipped with X-ray machines, ventilators, oxygen generators, heart monitors and related equipment to create a 30-bed medical facility.
India will send two more IAF C-17 aircraft to Turkey this evening with a 60 Para field hospital and personnel to help in rescue and relief operations, news agency ANI said, quoting defense officials.
It is part of the Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) measures announced by the government on Monday for Turkey and Syria. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has directed officials to offer all possible assistance to Turkey and Syria.
Turkish Ambassador to India Firat Sunel expressed gratitude for the Indian government’s offer of help, saying “a friend in need is indeed a friend”. Other countries have also offered help, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Israel.
