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India steps up relief efforts in Myanmar under ‘Operation Brahma’
The National Disaster Response Force team is carrying out rescue work near Mandalay area, which has seen maximum devastation
Following a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday, India, which emerged as one of the first countries to respond by initiating rescue efforts in the neighboring country under ‘Operation Brahma’ on Saturday, has stepped up relief initiatives.
The toll in Myanmar’s biggest earthquake in a century was set to climb from more than 1,700 after the end of a critical 72-hour rescue window, with aid efforts hampered by an ongoing civil war and sweltering heat. About 3,400 people were injured and the death toll may rise further, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said.
More than 300 people are missing after the quake struck Myanmar’s second largest city of Mandalay at a little before 1pm on 28 March.
Myanmar has declared a week of national mourning from Monday.
Since Saturday, India has sent four naval ships–INS Savitri, INS Satpura, INS Karmuk and LCU 5–carrying several tons of relief material, including clothes, essential medicines, rations, soap and sanitizers to Yangon.
As on Monday, India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is conducting a rescue mission for 170 monks stranded at U Hla Thein monastery, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement, adding that about 60,000 Indian nationals residing in Myanmar were reported safe.
Rescue efforts are also being extended to Sky Villa, where four 11-storey towers have collapsed.
The NDRF team is carrying out rescue work near Mandalay area, which has seen maximum devastation.
As part of the third tranche of support, a field hospital with around 118 specialists, including doctors and medics have also been sent.
On Sunday, Myanmar rebels declared a two-week ceasefire to allow aid to reach victims.
The junta hasn’t said if it will join, while media reported the military government continues to conduct airstrikes near areas affected by the tremor.
Quake-hit Sagaing and Mandalay are “affected by conflict” and remain partially inaccessible, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an appeal seeking to raise $8 million.
In neighboring Thailand, where at least 20 people died in the quake, efforts are on to find dozens missing after the collapse of an under-construction building.
On Monday, a couple of office buildings in Bangkok were evacuated on suspicion of fresh tremors, local media reported.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal for over $100 million to assist 100,000 people with life-saving relief and early recovery support.
PM leaves for Thailand, Sri Lanka this week
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-day state visit to earthquake-affected Thailand and Sri Lanka this week.
Modi will attend the sixth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Leaders’ Summit in Bangkok on 4 April before departing for Colombo on the same day.
In Colombo, he and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka will witness the virtual ground-breaking of the Sampur Solar Energy Project in Trincomalee district of Sri Lanka.
The Sampur project, a joint venture between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the National Thermal Power Corp. (NTPC) of India, will generate 135 megawatts (MW) of solar power in two states.
Last week, Myanmar and Thailand, two members of the the seven-nation regional grouping, were hit by a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 1,700 in Myannmar and 18 in Bangkok.
Modi’s visit reaffirms India’s commitment to its ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, ‘Act East’ policy, ‘MAHASAGAR’ (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision, and vision of the Indo-Pacific.
The BIMSTEC summit is a key regional event with the seven members–Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand–looking to discuss mutual collaboration between national disaster management authorities through humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises.
India hosts the regular BIMSTEC disaster management exercises and collaboration activities involving advanced weather forecasting, as well as the BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate.
A day before the summit, Mod will meet Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to review bilateral cooperation and discuss the way forward for paving a future partnership between both nations.
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