India dispatches NDRF team to assist in Myanmar earthquake rescue
What's the story
India is dispatching an 80-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team to Myanmar, after a devastating earthquake that has killed over 1,000 people.
The NDRF team has been mobilized and is being sent off in the next few hours, said a senior official on condition of anonymity.
This will be India's third international NDRF deployment for search and rescue, after Nepal (2015) and Turkey (2023).
Earthquake details
Earthquake wreaks havoc in Myanmar
The earthquake that hit central Myanmar on Friday afternoon was measured at a shallow 7.7 magnitude. It originated northwest of Sagaing city and was followed by a powerful 6.7 magnitude aftershock just minutes later.
Tremors caused widespread destruction across multiple cities, with Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, bearing the brunt of the damage.
Casualties
Casualties and impact of the earthquake
The earthquake has killed over 1,000 people and wounded another 2,300 in the Mandalay region.
The tremors were felt outside Myanmar too, with another 10 people reported dead in Bangkok, Thailand's capital city.
The disaster is being termed the biggest earthquake to hit Myanmar in over a century.
The Inwa earthquake in 1939 had destroyed its then capital of Inwa, and hundreds of people were believed to have died as a result.
Team details
NDRF team composition and experience
Most of the NDRF team consists of personnel from the 8th battalion of Ghaziabad.
"Many of the battalion's members were also part of the search and rescue operations in Turkey. They are the best rescuers who were part of rescue operations in similar natural disasters before," a senior official said.
After reaching Myanmar, they will join hands with local authorities to help with rescue operations.
Aid efforts
India's aid efforts in response to the earthquake
Apart from deploying the NDRF team, India has also sent 15 tons of relief materials, including food and medical supplies.
The first batch of aid was delivered by an Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft that landed in Yangon.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced on social media that more aid would be sent to Myanmar.