New Delhi: Two more Indian Navy ships, the INS Karmuk and LCU 52, reached Yangon in Myanmar on Tuesday, with nearly 30 Tons of relief material. Two other naval vessels from India – the INS Satpura and INS Savitri – had reached Yangon on Monday with nearly 40 Tons of relief.
This is part of the Government of India’s Op Brahma, intended to help Myanmar tide over the crisis brought about by an earthquake of 7.7 magnitude that hit the country on Friday. India was the first responder, sending in relief material, military field hospital units of the Indian Army and rescue personnel, dogs and equipment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), by five Indian Air Force (IAF) flights.
One more C-130J aircraft of the IAF landed at Mandalay on Tuesday with nearly 15 tonnes of relief material. The toll of the devastating earthquake has already reached 2,000. Experts believe that as many as 10,000 people may have perished due to the tremors that flattened structures at several cities and towns.
“India was the first responder. Later, relief and rescue teams started arriving from other countries. Now, Indian Navy Ship Gharial is being loaded with 440 Tons of relief material, including rice, edible oils and medicines, for its voyage to Yangon,” a senior Indian Navy official said.
The 80-member NDRF team, comprising many who carried out exceptional rescue operations during the Turkiye earthquake, has been deployed at the U his thein monastery where 170 monks were stuck. The NDRF is also working at Sky Villa, where four 11-storeyed towers collapsed, trapping several foreigners.
A specialised rescue team of the Indian Army’s elite 50 (I) Para Brigade has also been deployed in Myanmar for search and rescue operations.
