India sends NDRF team, tasks military to aid Myanmar rescue

India on Saturday mobilised its armed forces for a mission to deliver dozens of tonnes of relief materials and to fly in an 80-member search and rescue team and a military field hospital to help victims of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar that killed more than 1,000 people.

- Rezaul H Laskar and Prawesh Lama

NEW DELHI:

The government had placed the three services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on standby for an emergency response soon after the quake struck on Friday afternoon. The first Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft took off with 15 tonnes of relief materials, including food and medical supplies, from Hindon airbase at 3am on Saturday and reached Yangon at 8am Indian time.

By 7.30pm Indian time, a C-130 transport aircraft of the IAF transported the 80-member NDRF search and rescue team to the capital Naypyidaw, where the airport is still not fully functional after the earthquake. The team, which was received by Maung Maung Lynn, ambassador-at-large in Myanmar's foreign ministry, was the first foreign rescue contingent to reach Naypyidaw and will be deployed to Mandalay on Sunday, becoming the first foreign rescue team to reach the worst-hit area.

The IAF carried out five sorties on Saturday with its C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft to airlift the NDRF search and rescue team with a dog squad and specialised equipment, and a 118-member army field hospital with specialists and vehicles to Myanmar.

Four Indian Navy warships are transporting 50 tonnes of relief materials and other supplies from Port Blair and Visakhapatnam. In all, India is sending 137 tonnes of relief material and supplies in air sorties and naval ships, and more will be despatched if needed.