India intensifies relief efforts under 'Operation Brahma' as Myanmar reels from earthquake

New Delhi: India is sending a medical team of more than 100 members from the army and a field hospital, along with multiple naval ships and aircraft carrying disaster response force personnel to Myanmar as efforts are intensified under Operation Brahma to provide relief to the earthquake-hit nation.

Soon after the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and conveyed his deepest condolences on behalf of the people and the Government of India for the loss of lives.

He also conveyed that "we stand in solidarity with the government and the people of Myanmar, and that we would do our best to provide relief, rescue and whatever assistance required to deal with this calamity."

As part of the relief operation, the Indian Army will establish a 60-bed medical treatment centre to provide immediate care to those injured in the calamity, official sources said here on Saturday.

The facility will be capable of handling trauma cases, emergency surgeries, and essential medical services to support the local healthcare system, which has been severely strained by the disaster.

This will be manned by an 118-member team from the elite Shatrujeet Brigade Medical Responders, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jagneet Gill, who will be travelling to Myanmar along with essential medical equipment and supplies.

New Delhi has also dispatched two naval ships to the neighbouring country. "INS Satpura and INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and are headed for the port of Yangon," External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar wrote in a social media post.

India's ambassador in Myanmar is currently in the capital Nay Pyi Taw to coordinate the relief efforts, Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson, said, adding that no casualty has been reported so far among the Indian community in Myanmar.

He said India has actively been playing the role of "first responder" in such situations during national disasters and natural calamities.

New Delhi launched 'Operation Brahma' in the early hours of Saturday to offer humanitarian aid and assistance to the quake-hit Myanmar.

The first aircraft – a C-130J Super Hercules of the IAF – carrying 15 tonnes of relief material took off at around 3 am from Hindon Air Force base. It reached Yangon at around 8 am IST.

The materials include tents, blankets, essential medicines, tarpaulins, sleeping bags, generator sets, solar lamps, food packets, and kitchen sets.

"Two aircraft with search and rescue personnel and equipment, along with canines, will be going. One of them has left, and the other is in the process of leaving. There are 80 NDRF search and rescue team personnel, specialists, along with equipment and a canine squad, in the team," he added.

They are expected to reach Nay Pyi Taw later on Saturday evening, the MEA said.

The third tranche of support comprises a field hospital, which has about 118 members, including specialists, doctors, and medics. This team is getting ready and will be leaving from Agra later this evening, Jaiswal said during the briefing held on Saturday evening.

They will land in Nay Pyi Taw, and from there, they will be taken to the Mandalay area with the support and coordination of the Government of Myanmar, he said.

Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand were rocked by a high-intensity earthquake on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges, and other structures and killing over 1,600 people so far.

India shares a 1,643-kilometre-long border with Myanmar on the eastern side.