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- Published: February 17, 2023 14:07
New Delhi: While Turkey continues to count its dead even a fortnight after high-intensity earthquake, the global relief & rescue teams are still working overtime to provide relief & succor to the quake-ravaged population.
Out of global rescue teams, India’s ‘Operation Dost’ in quake-hit Turkey & adjoining Syria hogged worldwide attention. Many compassionate gestures of Indian teams while rescuing the stranded people became a talking point.
The dogs named Rambo & Honey were also much talked about over their role in rescuing people trapped under the rubble.
On Friday morning, the 47-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team returned home after conducting 10 day rescue mission in quake hit Turkey. They were also accompanied by dog squad members Rambo and Honey.
What help India provided under Operation Dost?
Under the Opeation Dost, India sent its NDRF team along with a contingent of Army men to aid & assist Turkey’s local agencies in relief & rescue missions in the quake-hit region.
Under the Mission, Indian government sent 3 teams of NDRF, a field hospital, drill machines, bunch of medicines & equipments to both Turkey & Sryia. Seven four-wheelers & trucks were sent along with the rescue team for fast disbursal of services. They all were airlifted by Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 heavy lift aircraft from Ghaziabad’s Hindon air base to Adana airport in Turkey.
A team of Indian Army, deployed in Syria under United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) is providing relief materials, including life-saving drugs & rations to thousands of quake-affected families.
Labrador breed dogs
There were many a miraculous instances, where the Indian team stood at the forefront. The NDRF team miraculously rescued a six-year-old girl and made headlines while the photo of Indian Army doctor with a girl recuperating at hospital went viral on social media.
The specially trained Labrador dogs named stepped in where big machines failed. These dogs named Honey & Rambo proved instrumental in detecting people trapped under the quake debris. With their sharp sniffing skills, they give disaster relief teams a big advantage in rescue missions.
Meanwhile, the latest estimates put the death toll in Turkey & Syria above 40,000.