India sends first quake aid to Myanmar

India on Saturday delivered 15 tonnes of relief materials, including food and medical supplies, to Myanmar after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,000 people in the country.

- Rezaul H [e-mail]

NEW DELHI:

A transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed in Yangon with the first tranche of aid and a search and rescue team and a medical team.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the head of Myanmar's State Administration Council or military junta to convey condolences express India's solidarity as a "close friend and neighbour".

"Spoke with Senior General H.E. 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 said on social media.

"Disaster relief material, humanitarian assistance, search & rescue teams are being expeditiously dispatched to the affected areas as part of #OperationBrahma." External affairs minister S Jaishankar said on social media that India would send more aid to Myanmar. The external affairs ministry said two more IAF aircraft with relief materials will depart for Myanmar from the Hindon air-base on Saturday.

The shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of Sagaing city in central Myanmar on Friday afternoon, and was followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock. The tremors flattened buildings in several cities, and severe damage was reported in Mandalay, Myanmar's second biggest city with 1.7 million residents.

Myanmar's military junta said on Saturday that 1,002 people were killed. Close to 700 deaths were reported in Mandalay region, where another 1,700 were injured. About 10 more deaths were reported in Thailand's capital Bangkok.