Myanmar earthquake: Death toll rises to 1,644, widespread damage; India dispatches rescue teams

New Delhi: As Myanmar reels from loss of life and destruction triggered by a huge earthquake, India mounted a multi-agency relief mission on Saturday, delivering 15 tonnes of needed materials and dispatching extra lend a hand by air and sea, on the side of rescue teams, to the neighbouring nation.

In a mirrored image of New Delhi’s stable commitment to elongate abet, High Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and acknowledged India stands in team spirit with the of us of that nation.

India, which named its relief mission for Myanmar as “Operation Brahma”, grew to turn into the principle nation to bring rescue personnel to the capital metropolis of Nay-Pyi-Taw to abet native authorities, in accordance with officials.

Hours after New Delhi delivered 15 tonnes of needed relief materials to Yangon in a navy transport airplane, two C130J planes of the Indian Air Power (IAF) landed in Nay-Pyi-Taw, carrying a complete of 80 National Catastrophe Response Power (NDRF) personnel and some extra lend a hand.

Two extra C17 navy airplane of the IAF, carrying 60 para-field ambulances, will land in Myanmar presently, the officials acknowledged.

India deployed the NDRF in one more nation on two earlier times — at some level of the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2023 Turkiye quake.

The total lend a hand sent by air sorties and naval ships portions to 137 tonnes, sources acknowledged, adding that extra offers shall be sent based on the requirement.

“Conveyed our deep condolences on the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a conclude good friend and neighbour, India stands in team spirit with the of us of Myanmar on this advanced hour,” the prime minister acknowledged on X after his phone conversation with the senior navy basic.

“Catastrophe relief area topic, humanitarian help, search and rescue teams are being expeditiously dispatched to the affected areas as part of #OperationBrahma,” he acknowledged.

Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged Indian naval ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian lend a hand and headed for the port of Yangon.

Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal advised a briefing here that two extra Indian naval ships would observe below this humanitarian help operation.

Jaishankar acknowledged a 118-member Indian Army Discipline Sanatorium unit is additionally en route to Mandalay from Agra to abet in providing first lend a hand and emergency clinical products and companies to the of us of Myanmar.

Within the morning, India delivered 15 tonnes of relief materials to the Myanmarese metropolis of Yangon after a C130J navy airplane of the IAF transported the consignments to the Myanmarese metropolis.

The offers included tents, slumbering bags, blankets, ready-to-admire meals, water purifiers, solar lamps, generator items and needed medicines, the officials acknowledged.

“#OperationBrahma will get underway. First tranche of humanitarian lend a hand from India has reached the Yangon Airport in Myanmar,” Jaishankar acknowledged in a put up on X after India dispatched the principle consignments of relief offers.

The comfort materials had been handed over to Chief Minister of Yangon U Soe Thein by Indian envoy to Myanmar Abhay Thakur.

The highly efficient 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges and other infrastructures.

Myanmar’s navy-led govt acknowledged on Saturday that the loss of life toll has climbed to 1,644. The number of injured is 3,408, whereas 139 of us are lacking after the quake.

India has acted as a “First Responder” to abet the of us of Myanmar, Jaiswal acknowledged.

“Brahma is the god of introduction. At a time after we're extending a helping hand to the government of Myanmar, to the of us of Myanmar to rebuild their nation in the wake of the devastation, this explicit title of the operation has a abnormal resonance, a abnormal which reach,” he advised newshounds.

Commandant P Okay Tiwary of the eighth NDRF battalion based in Ghaziabad, conclude to Delhi, is leading the USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) group.

The group has additionally taken along rescue canines for the collapsed impart search and rescue operation being undertaken based on the Global Search and Rescue Advisory Community (INSARAG) norms, an legit acknowledged.

Indian officials in Delhi acknowledged the principle C130 airplane landed in Nay-Pyi-Taw in the night and the NDRF group used to be got by the Indian ambassador and Maung Maung Lynn, Ambassador-at-great, in the Myanmar in a foreign country ministry.

India is the principle nation to bring rescue personnel to Nay-Pyi-Taw, they acknowledged, adding that the airport on the capital metropolis is still no longer exclusively functional after the earthquake.

The NDRF group will proceed to Mandalay early morning of Sunday and would be the principle rescue group to reach there for rescue operations, they acknowledged.

The Indian embassy in Myanmar acknowledged it is coordinating snappy offer of help and relief offers from India with Myanmar.

“We are additionally in fixed contact with Indian neighborhood. Reiterate our emergency number for needy Indian nationals:+95-95419602,” it acknowledged in a put up on X.

India shares a 1,643-kilometre border with Myanmar on the eastern facet.