Myanmar quake toll over 1,600, India sends relief, rescue teams

“Spoke with 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,” Modi posted on X.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is expected to join the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok next week, which Modi is attending.

Under Operation Brahma, which officials said is named after the God of creation and is aimed at rebuilding the country, India sent multiple tranches of disaster relief material, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue teams.

The total aid sent by India via air sorties and naval ships so far is 137 tonnes, sources said, adding that more aid would be sent as per requirement.

“India has dispatched two naval ships to the neighbouring country,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a special briefing on Saturday. Besides the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) being sent via aircraft, a field hospital with 118 members from Agra was also being sent, he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri were headed to Yangon port in Myanmar with tonnes of aid. “Operation Brahma Indian Navy ships INS Satpura & INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and headed for the port of Yangon,” he said in a post on X.

A contingent of 80 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel was also sent to Myanmar, officials said, adding that the personnel were armed with rescue equipment like strong concrete cutters, drill machines and hammers.

“A team of 80 NDRF personnel was sent to Myanmar aboard two IAF sorties from Hindon in Ghaziabad,” an official said. The team is taking rescue dogs to aid search operations, the official said.

According to the MEA, the IAF’s first C130 landed in Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday evening, and was received by India’s Ambassador Abhay Thakur and Myanmar’s Ambassador Maung Maung Lynn, Ambassador-at-large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The second aircraft with 38 NDRF personnel and 10 tonnes of relief material also landed by night.

NDRF Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Mohsen Shahedi told reporters that the next 24-48 hours were “very crucial” for the force to get “gainfully engaged” and for their “active involvement” on the ground.

The NDRF team will proceed to Mandalay on Sunday morning, becoming the first foreign rescue team to reach the area. According to officials, India was the first to get its rescue personnel in Myanmar’s capital of Nay Pyi Taw, even as the airport there is not yet fully functional after the earthquake.

The US, China, Russia and Singapore have also dispatched relief and rescue support.

In the past, India sent NDRF personnel abroad during the 2015 Nepal earthquake under Operation Maitri, and the 2023 Turkiye quake under Operation Dost.

The first consignment of 15 tonnes of relief material landed in Yangon on Saturday on a C-130J military transport aircraft of the IAF. The relief material was handed over by Ambassador Thakur to Yangon’s Chief Minister U Soe Thein. It includes tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, generators, and essential medicines.

The Indian Embassy in Myanmar said it was coordinating the speedy delivery of assistance and relief supplies from India with the local authorities. “Following yesterday’s devastating earthquake, we are coordinating speedy delivery of assistance and relief supplies from India with Myanmar authorities. We are also in constant touch with the Indian community. Reiterate our emergency number for needy Indian nationals,” it said in a post on X.

MEA officials said there are about 15,000 Indian families in Myanmar, comprising around 50,000-60,000 Indian nationals. There have been no reports of any Indian casualties so far, they said.