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Final NDRF team returns from Turkey

The Indian Government sent tons of relief material to both Syria and Turkey in collaboration with the Indian Army as part of the Operation…reports Asian Lite News

The final National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team under Operation Dost returns home from Turkey after Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced the end of rescue operations.

Under Operation Dost 3 teams of 151 NDRFHQ personnel and dog squads extended assistance to earthquake-affected Turkey. NDRF Teams executed search, rescue and relief operations including life detection in 35 worksites of Nurdagi and Antakya.

“Final NDRF team under #OperationDost returns home from Turkiye. 3 Teams of 151

@NDRFHQ personnel & dog squads extended assistance to earthquake-affected Turkiye. Teams executed search, rescue & relief operations including life detection in 35 worksites of Nurdagi & Antakya,” tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) on Saturday said that search and rescue operations have ended in most provinces nearly two weeks after this month’s devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, reported Al Jazeera.

“The death toll due to the earthquakes rose to 40,642, and the work of searching and rescue for people stuck under the debris has ended in most of the provinces,” Yunis Sezar, head of AFAD, said in a presser.

“We believe we will end the search and rescue operations by tomorrow night,” he added.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey’s southeast and neighbouring Syria on February 6, killing more than 45,000 people and leaving more than a million people homeless along with an economical cost expected to run into billions of dollars, reported Al Jazeera.

India was among the first responder to search and rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria.

India launched Operation Dost to extend assistance to Turkey as well as Syria after devastating quakes and aftershocks in the region.

The Indian Government sent tons of relief material to both Syria and Turkey in collaboration with the Indian Army as part of the Operation.

Under this, India sent relief materials to Turkey, a mobile hospital, and specialised search and rescue teams.

250 Army personnel were also deployed in the worst-hit areas of Turkey and Syria.

Three self-sustaining teams of the NDRF, numbering more than 150 specially trained personnel, along with Rambo and his friends (of the dog squad), specialised vehicles, and other supplies, also reached Turkey.

Specialised equipment and other relief materials weighing over 135 tonnes too reached Turkey.

India sent emergency medicines and equipment including portable ECG machines, patient monitors, and other essential medical items to Syria.

The NDRF teams rendered assistance in rescue operations at Gaziantep while the medical team set up the field hospital in Iskenderun.

The army field hospital in Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkey started functioning by running Medical, Surgical & Emergency Wards; X-Ray Lab & Medical Store.

When asked about sending aid to Syria when the country has been under US sanctions, the government said India follows the G-20 mantra of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” (ANI)

ALSO READ-UAE sets up huge field hospital in Turkey

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NDRF starts search and rescue operation in Turkey

According to aid organisations and rescuers, the number of fatalities is expected to rise further as many people are still buried beneath the rubble…reports Asian Lite News

India’s National Defence Response Force team reached Turkey’s Gaziantep and started the search and rescue operation after two deadly earthquakes hit the country.

In a video, Indian rescue teams seeing at the epicenter of the earthquake in Turkey engaged in relief operations.

On Monday, a 7.8 magnitude tremor struck Turkey at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9km near the city of Gaziantep. Within 9 hours, a second earthquake of magnitude 7.6 jolted the Kahramanmaras’s Elbistan district.

Meanwhile, the toll from Momday’s deadly earthquake soared to more than 9,000 and the injury count was at 52,000, the Anadolou news agency reported on Wednesday, adding that more than 100,000 rescuers were digging through the rubble across 10 provinces of Turkey to look for survivors.

There have been several precedents in the recenT past of India mobilising emergency relief and assistance to countries struck by natural disasters. And, responding to Turkey’s desperate call for assistance, New Delhi has dispatched four medical assistants to the country. Further, six aircraft from India took off for Turkey and Syria with humanitarian aid and a field hospital.

“Under #OperationDost, India is sending search and rescue teams, a field hospital, materials, medicines, and equipment to Turkiye and Syria. This is an ongoing operation and we would be posting updates,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday.

According to aid organisations and rescuers, the number of fatalities is expected to rise further as many people are still buried beneath the rubble.

The Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll currently stands at 9,487, CNN reported citing officials as rescue operations continue in the disaster-hit countries. India dispatched its fourth batch of aid, including 54 members of the medical team from the Indian Army as part of the country’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief on Tuesday.

Recently, over 6 tonnes of emergency relief assistance reached Syria and was received at the Damascus airport by Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment Moutaz Douaji. It included 3 truck-loads of protective gear, emergency use medicines, ECG machines, and other medical items, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.

In the wake of an earthquake that struck Northwest Syria on February 6, 2022, causing massive destruction and loss of lives, India had dispatched 6 tonnes of emergency relief assistance through a special aircraft of the Indian Airforce to Syria.

India, over the years, has been extending humanitarian, technical, and developmental assistance to Syria through bilateral and multilateral channels. Consignments of food and medicines have been supplied to Syria from time to time, including during the pandemic.

Two Artificial Limb Fitment Camps (Jaipur Foot) have been organized in Syria in December 2020 and recently in October-November 2022, the MEA release read. (ANI)

ALSO READ-NDRF, police on high alert in TN after fresh rainfall warning

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NDRF, police on high alert in TN after fresh rainfall warning

The IMD has also warned that the whole of Western Tamil Nadu will also receive spells of rain and from November 11 onwards the rainfall would recede…reports Asian Lite News.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the state police department and revenue officials are on high alert after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and several other districts of Tamil Nadu.

Schools and colleges in Chennai and many districts have been given holidays for Wednesday and Thursday.

The IMD area cyclone warning department has in a statement said that rains are expected Wednesday in Cuddalore, Pudukottai, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Puducherry, and Karaikkal areas. On Thursday heavy to very heavy rains are expected in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvannamalai districts.

The IMD has also warned that the whole of Western Tamil Nadu will also receive spells of rain and from November 11 onwards the rainfall would recede.

The NDRF have already prepared themselves for any eventuality and more than ten teams of the agency are in Chennai. The NDRF, Police, and revenue teams have, according to sources in TN police, jointly arrived at plans for evacuation and other eventualities if heavy rains lash Chennai and the surrounding areas.

After the death of five people in rain-related incidents at Theni, Madurai, Trichy, and Chennai districts on Tuesday, the departments of revenue and disaster management are not taking any risks. State revenue and disaster management minister, KKSSR Ramachandran while speaking to IANS said,” The department of revenue and disaster management is prepared for any eventuality and the plans are in place for the extreme rainfalls. The NDRF is already positioned and we are coordinating with the state home department for the services of the police to join with the team from revenue and disaster management. Chief Minister, M.K.Stalin is giving all the necessary instructions for the disaster and revenue teams.”

In Chennai, 1723 people have been moved to relief camps which are at 22 places and more than 140 camps are ready to move people into it if rains cause havoc in the city, revenue officials said.

The department of disaster management said that more than 11 lakh food packets have already been distributed for the needy during the past few days of incessant rains throwing life out of gear.

Ramanakumaran Theyyambet, a city resident and businessman who lives at Teynampet in Chennai said, “In 2015 there were heavy rains and we have all faced the repercussions of the deluge and in 2021 also if waterlogging and deluge is happening it means some serious introspection is necessary for those who are in the revenue and planning department as to why this is happening. It shows the utter callousness of our government bodies and the officials and the Chief Minister must take steps to have an action plan with a time frame ready to settle this issue forever.”

ALSO READ-Heavy rain, thunderstorms to continue in TN for next 2 days