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Naypyitaw [Myanmar], March 29 (ANI): As per the XP Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team landed in Naypyitaw on Saturday and was warmly received by officials there.
First C130 landed in Naypyitaw. The NDRF team was received by Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Abhay Thakur and Maung Maung Lynn, Ambassador-at-large, in Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MEA stated.
India is the first to bring rescue personnel in the capital. The NDRF team will proceed to Mandalay tomorrow early morning, and the Indian NDRF rescue team will be the first rescue team to reach Mandalay for rescue operations, as per the MEA. The airport is still not fully functional after the earthquake.
During a special MEA press briefing earlier in the day on Operation Brahma, DIG NDRF Mohsen Shahedi said, “The NDRF team has 80 rescuers. It is an urban and search rescue team. It has been sent in two flights, one flight has already taken off (for Myanmar) and the other is about to take off from Hindon Air Base. The next 24-48 hours are very crucial. We also have a reserve team which has been kept in Kolkata, so whenever there is confirmation of sending the second team there, they are ready to takeoff.”
Commodore Raghunath Nair said that there are four ships with humanitarian aid. Two departed earlier in the day and others will sail on Sunday. “There are four ships; two of them are already underway, one sailed at two o’clock this morning and the other one at two in the afternoon, and both ships are expected to reach Yangon, Myanmar on 31st March. There are two ships which are on standby at Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and they will sail tomorrow and they will reach at about the same time when the first two ships are leaving that place.”
More than 1,600 people are confirmed dead from the devastating quake in Myanmar on Friday, the ruling military authorities said on state television, CNN reported. (ANI)
India sends medical task force under Operation Brahma to quake-hit Myanmar
In a swift response to the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday, the Indian Army, under ‘Operation Brahma’, is deploying a specialised medical task force to provide urgent humanitarian assistance on Saturday, a statement by the Ministry of Defence said.
A 118-member team from the elite Shatrujeet Brigade Medical Responders, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jagneet Gill, is set to take off for Myanmar shortly, along with essential medical equipment and supplies.
According to the statement, the Airborne Angels Task Force is trained and equipped to deliver advanced medical and surgical care in disaster-affected zones.
As part of the operation, the Indian Army will establish a 60-bed Medical Treatment Centre to provide immediate care to those injured in the calamity. The facility will be capable of handling trauma cases, emergency surgeries, and essential medical services to support the local healthcare system, which the disaster has severely strained.
This humanitarian assistance underlines India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the timeless Indian ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the world is one family. The Indian Army continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with friendly nations in times of crisis, reflecting India’s resolve to be a first responder in the region, the statement added.
The deployment has been coordinated closely with the Ministry of External Affairs and in partnership with authorities in Myanmar. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that a 118-member Indian Army Field Hospital unit is en route to Mandalay from Agra. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Operation Brahma- A 118-member Indian Army Field Hospital unit is en route to Mandalay from Agra. The team will assist in providing first aid and emergency medical services to the people of Myanmar.”
According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the March 2025 quake was the most powerful to strike Myanmar in over a century, CNN reported. Yesterday’s quake has killed at least 1,000 people in Myanmar with the USGS estimating that the death toll could top 10,000. (ANI)
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