New Delhi:
After a devastating earthquake ravaged Myanmar, India initiated its relief and rescue efforts in the country under the banner ‘Operation Brahma‘. On Saturday, the country deployed two naval ships and began the deployment of an army field hospital with 118 medical personnel to provide immediate assistance to the injured. The massive earthquake that devastated Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand killed over 1,600 people and caused widespread destruction.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced yesterday that two Indian naval ships carrying relief materials were on their way to Myanmar, with two more to follow. The first ship, carrying 10 tonnes of relief supplies, set sail in the early hours of Saturday, while the second ship departed later in the afternoon. They are expected to arrive in Yangon by March 31.
The additional two ships, stationed at Sri Vijaya Puram under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, will follow in the coming days to reinforce India’s aid efforts.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar provided updates on social media, stating, “INS Satpura & INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and headed for the port of Yangon.”
The Air Force has also been actively engaged in deploying relief supplies and personnel. Mr Jaiswal confirmed that multiple aircraft have been deployed under Operation Brahma. The first aircraft, carrying 15 tonnes of relief material, took off at 3 AM from Hindon Air Force Base in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, reaching Yangon by 8 AM. Indian ambassador to Myanmar Abhay Thakur handed over the supplies, including tents, blankets, food packets, and essential medicines, to Yangon’s chief minister.
Two more aircraft, carrying search and rescue teams, departed for Myanmar, with an additional two aircraft forming part of the 118-member army field hospital unit’s deployment. This elite medical team, from the Indian Army’s Shatrujeet Brigade Medical Responders, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jagneet Gill, will provide advanced medical and surgical care. They will establish a 60-bed Medical Treatment Centre in Mandalay to handle trauma cases, emergency surgeries, and general medical needs.
India has also dispatched an 80-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team equipped with specialist search and rescue tools, including concrete cutters, drill machines, and canine squads. The team will be stationed in Nay Pyi Taw to assist local authorities in finding survivors trapped under debris.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s military leader, offering condolences and assuring full support. “As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour,” PM Modi stated on social media.
Mr Jaiswal reiterated India’s commitment to being a “first responder” to natural disasters in the region, citing previous aid missions such as ‘Operation Dost’ in Turkey and Syria. “When we say Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we mean it, and we prove it through action,” he said, referring to India’s ethos of ‘the world is one family’.