New Delhi: India is sending a field hospital, medicines, rescue teams to earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria under “Operation Dost”, foreign minister S Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday.
The 7.8-magnitude quake struck Monday as people slept, flattening thousands of structures, trapping an unknown number of people and potentially impacting millions.
The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that time is running out for the thousands injured and those still feared trapped. The death count from the quake has risen to 9,500.
A fourth C17 plane of the Indian Air Force carrying relief assistance for Turkey’s earthquake victims landed in Adana on Wednesday.
The planes to Turkey include 99 medical specialists which will set up a 30-bed medical facility in field operation conditions.
Along with the rescue personnel is medical equipment which includes x-ray machines, ventilators, operation-theater, vehicles, ambulances, generators, etc.
Equipment also includes hand and power tools, lighting equipment, air-lifting bags, chainsaw, angle cutters, rotarv rescue saw, victim location equipment, life detectors, etc.
Turkey has called India a “dost” for its generosity for providing funds to the country after the earthquake caused massive destruction.
Ambassador of Turkey to India Firat Sunel thanked New Delhi and said, “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”
“Dost” is a common word in Turkish and Hindi… We have a Turkish proverb: “Dost kara gunde belli olur” (a friend in need is a friend indeed). Thank you very much India,” said the Ambassador.