New Delhi: At least 55 tonnes of relief have been dispatched by India to Myanmar so far as a part of ‘Operation Brahma’, a day after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit its second largest city Mandalay, leaving at least 1,000 people dead.
An Indian Air Force C-130 J left Hindon Air Force Station (AFS) at around 3 am Saturday, carrying at least 15 tonnes of relief material, which reached Yangon around 8 am their time. The relief material included tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready to eat meals, first aid kits, essential medicines, water purifiers, hygiene kits, solar lamps and generator sets, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said at a special press briefing Saturday.
#OperationBrahma gets underway.
First tranche of humanitarian aid from India has reached the Yangon Airport in Myanmar.
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— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 29, 2025
“One aircraft took off this morning and then two more aircraft will take off carrying search and rescue teams and other essential supplies. And then two more aircraft will take off in the evening when the field hospital is airlifted, taking the number of aircraft to five for the time being,” said Jaiswal on the total number of aircraft deployed so far.
A second plane left AFS Hindon Saturday afternoon, carrying relief material and personnel specialised in search and rescue operations from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). A third flight carrying relief material from AFS Hindon is expected to be dispatched by Saturday evening.
A total of 80 NDRF personnel specialised in search and rescue operations, along with a canine squad and necessary equipment has been or in the process of being deployed by India, who should reach Mandalay within the next 24 hours.
80-member strong @NDRFHQ search & rescue team departs for Nay Pyi Taw.
They will assist the rescue operations in Myanmar.
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— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 29, 2025
A field hospital with 118 specialists, will leave Agra, with six medical specialists, including two female doctors and children specialists. Some of the personnel were also involved in ‘Operation Dost’, India’s search and response mission to Türkiye in February 2023, after devastating earthquakes, said Brigadier H.S. Mavi at the special briefing, highlighting the institutional memory and experience of the first-responders.
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.
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— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 29, 2025
INS Satpura and INS Savitri have also left for the port of Yangon, carrying roughly 40 tonnes of relief material and are expected to reach the Myanmarese city on 31 March, according to Commodore Raghu Nair, while another two ships are set to leave Port Blair Sunday carrying more relief material.
#OperationBrahma @indiannavy ships INS Satpura & INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and headed for the port of Yangon.
🇮🇳 🇲🇲 pic.twitter.com/MJcG9Dbgnj
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 29, 2025
Earlier Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Senior General Min Aung Hlain, the head of military leadership in Myanmar and offered India’s solidarity with the Southeast Asian nation over the loss of life and extensive damage caused by the earthquake.
Spoke with Senior General H.E. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour. Disaster relief material,…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 29, 2025
The country, which has been facing a civil war for over four years, has seen the military leadership face a number of battlefield reverses, while maintaning its grip on Myanmar’s urban centres.
“We are speaking to the government of Myanmar. In such situations you have to go by what the government asks for and coordinate closely with them, because they are there and we are there to provide support to them,” said Jaiswal, when asked on whether India would extend any aid to the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs), who continue to hold parts of Myanmar due to the ongoing civil war.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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