Array
New Delhi [India], February 7 (ANI): A 101-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers, including five women personnel and a four-member canine squad, will help earthquake-hit Turkey from Tuesday, with a 51-member team landing earlier today at Adana Airport of quake-battered country and the second team of another 50-members on way, said NDRF Director General Atul Karwal.
Led by Commanding Officer Gurminder Singh of NDRF’s 2nd Battalion in Kolkata, the whole contingent of 101 rescuers will start their operations in a coordinated way as per directions of the Indian Embassy in Turkey and local authorities.
A massive earthquake, 7.8 magnitudes on Richter Scale, ripped through Turkey and Syria on February 6, followed by a series of high magnitute tremors causing houses and high rises reducing to rubble, leaving over 4,000 people dead and rendering scores of men, women and children homeless.
Speaking to ANI, NDRF Director General Atul Karwal said soon after the earthquake, « Government of India decided to render all possible help (to Turkey) in this time of crisis. »
The 1988-batch Gujarat cadre officer said the NDRF was asked to deploy two teams.
« One team with 51 rescuers, including five lady personnel, and a canine squad left for Turkey at 3 am today morning in an Indian Air Force aircraft. So, after a flight of seven and a half hours, they landed at about 10.
