Guwahati: India is dispatching a new National Disaster Response Force team and other essential supplies to Turkey where a massive earthquake on Monday claimed the lives of over 9000 people.
According to the NDRF Director General Atul Karwal, two teams have already arrived in Turkey and have started conducting rescue operations at several damaged sites.
The third team has already been flown from Varanasi to Delhi and by tonight IAF aircraft carrying the rescuers are likely to take out for the disaster-stricken country.
“The team consisting of 51 rescuers and a specially trained Dog squad will depart to Turkey on reaching National Capital,” the NDRF DG said earlier.
India has offered Turkey which was devastated by a strong earthquake on Monday, humanitarian assistance. On Tuesday, an Indian Air Force C17 flight headed for Turkey with more than 50 members of the NDRF and a specially trained dog squad as well as the tools needed for the relief work, including medical supplies, drilling machinery, and other equipment.
With two separate NDRF teams—a 51-member team that arrived there in the morning and another 50-member team that arrived there by the evening—the specially trained Labrador breed dog squad, which is an expert in sniffing and other crucial skills during rescue operations in disaster-hit regions, departed India for Turkey on Tuesday.
According to NDRF Director General Atul Karwal, the 101 team members and the force’s dog squad are completely self-contained and have all the requisite specialised search and rescue and personal safety gear.
According to the need, the NDRF crew would support Turkish local authorities in relief and rescue operations, the official said.
Two teams each made up of 101 NDRF members were flown to Turkey by special Indian Air Force flights along with specially trained dog squads and all the necessary supplies.
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale tore through Turkey and Syria, followed by a string of aftershocks that left huge destruction, fatalities and infrastructure damage in both countries on February 6. According to the most recent estimates, nearly 10,000 people have died in both countries.