Operation Dost: Sixth Indian aircraft carrying rescue personnel and relief material reaches quake-hit Turkey

The sixth aircraft from India delivering aid for the earthquake recovery effort—rescue workers, supplies, and medical gear—arrived in Turkey on Thursday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted about this, saying that extra search and rescue teams were prepared for deployment.

"The sixth #OperationDost flight reaches Türkiye. More search and rescue teams, dog squads, essential search & access equipment, medicines and medical equipment ready for deployment in the relief efforts," he wrote.

In response to the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday (February 6, 2023), Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed that all possible assistance be extended to the affected people.

Operation Dost was subsequently launched to provide immediate assistance with search and rescue (SAR) operations and medical aid. Multiple government departments coordinated this endeavor, which led to a prompt reaction. The first C-17 IAF aircraft with a trained search and rescue squad was sent to Turkey just hours after a request for assistance was received.

Till Wednesday, India had sent five Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft with over 250 troops, specialised equipment, and relief supplies totaling over 135 tons. This exemplifies India's dedication to helping people impacted by the earthquake.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), these include three self-sufficient teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), with more than 150 specially trained individuals, dog squads, specialized equipment, trucks, and supplies, in addition to the NDRF's three self-sufficient teams. Their equipment allows for detection, location, access and extrication of people trapped under collapsed structures.

Additionally, staff and supplies have been sent to establish a 30-bed self-sufficient field hospital for the Indian Army. This consists of a group of 99 soecially trained personnel, as well as a fleet of ambulances, cutting-edge vehicles, and innovative technology. A fully functional operating room as well as equipment like ventilators and X-rays will be available at the hospital.

According to the MEA, the deployment of the teams in Turkey is being coordinated with the local authorities through the Indian Embassy, which has set up a Camp Office at Adana. The NDRF teams are rendering assistance in rescue operations at Gaziantep while the medical team is setting up the Field Hospital in Iskenderun.

Additionally, a team of MEA officials, two of whom are Turkish speaking officers, have been deployed to Turkey to assist the teams involved in rescue and relief operations.

As for Syria, India has already dispatched more than 6 tons of emergency relief assistance through a C130J IAF aircraft to Damascus. The consignment includes medicines for emergency use, fluids for hydration, protective gear, general use medicines and medical equipment like ECG machine, patient monitor etc.

"India stands committed to extend all possible support to those affected by this devastating earthquake. Operation Dost is India’s latest expression of being a first responder, a net security provider, and a country whose Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) response is quick and available to countries not only in the neighbouring region, but also beyond," the MEA had said on Wednesday.