Operation Brahma: IAF Aircraft With NDRF Rescue Teams Reach Myanmar, Army Deploys Field Hospital Unit
The first IAF aircraft carrying an NDRF search-and-rescue team landed in Myanmar's Naypyitaw, marking India's swift response as the first country to send rescue personnel to the capital.
In a swift response to the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March, India has launched Operation Brahma, deploying rescue teams, medical personnel, and naval ships to assist in relief efforts. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday stated that India was the first country to send a rescue team to Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, as part of its humanitarian assistance efforts.
According to the MEA, the first Indian Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel landed in Naypyitaw, where they were received by India’s Ambassador and Myanmar’s Ambassador-at-large, Maung Maung Lynn. “India is the first to bring rescue personnel in the capital. The airport is still not fully functional after the earthquake. The NDRF team will proceed to Mandalay tomorrow early morning, and the Indian NDRF rescue team will be the first rescue team to reach Mandalay for rescue operations,” the MEA stated.
A second C-130 also landed in Naypyitaw with the remaining 38 personnel of NDRF and 10 tonnes of relief material.
🇮🇳 First Responder- first to send rescue personnel to Nay Pyi Taw 🇲🇲.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 29, 2025
A C130 flight with 80 member @NDRFHQ search and rescue team has landed in Nay Pyi Taw.
Received by Amb Abhay Thakur & Amb Maung Maung Lynn of MoFA Myanmar.#OperationBrahma pic.twitter.com/M9QJBQdmmz
Two C17s with a 118-member Indian Army Field Hospital Unit, including women and child care services and 60 tonnes of relief material, also arrived in Myanmar, the MEA informed.
#OperationBrahma continues.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 29, 2025
Two C-17 aircraft with 118 member Indian Army Field Hospital Unit, including Women & Child Care services and 60 tonnes of relief material have landed in Myanmar 🇲🇲. With these, five relief flights from 🇮🇳 have landed in Myanmar today. pic.twitter.com/h5CBKIGsd3
Commandant P K Tiwary of the 8th NDRF battalion, based in Ghaziabad, is leading the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. The deployment includes 80 NDRF personnel, search-and-rescue specialists, and a canine squad.
NDRF Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Mohsen Shahedi underscored the urgency of the situation, stating that the “next 24-48 hours are very crucial for the force to get gainfully engaged and for their active involvement on the ground.”
Indian Army’s Medical Support Under ‘Operation Brahma’
Under Operation Brahma, the Indian Army has mobilised a 118-member medical task force from the elite Shatrujeet Brigade Medical Responders, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jagneet Gill. This team is equipped with essential medical supplies and will establish a 60-bed Medical Treatment Centre to handle trauma cases, emergency surgeries, and other critical medical services in disaster-affected zones.
Operation Brahma: Indian Army’s Humanitarian Mission to Myanmar 🇲🇲
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) March 29, 2025
In a swift response to the 28 March 2025 earthquake in Myanmar, the #IndianArmy, as part of Operation Brahma, is deploying a specialised medical task force to provide urgent humanitarian aid.
A 118-member team… pic.twitter.com/ESkMGqQ2Bn
“This humanitarian assistance underlines India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the timeless Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family,” the Ministry of Defence stated.
Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that India has dispatched two naval ships to Myanmar, with two more to follow. “Besides the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) personnel and material being sent via aircraft, a field hospital with 118 members is expected to leave from Agra later on Saturday,” he added.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a post on social media, stated that Indian Navy ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri were carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and were en route to the port of Yangon.
The first aircraft carrying 15 tonnes of relief material, including tents, blankets, essential medicines, tarpaulins, sleeping bags, generators, solar lamps, food packets, and kitchen sets, departed from Hindon Air Force base at around 3 am on Saturday. It reached Yangon at 8 am IST, where India’s Ambassador handed over the relief material to the Chief Minister of Yangon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and expressed India’s solidarity. “We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Myanmar and will do our best to provide relief, rescue, and whatever assistance is required to deal with this calamity,” Modi conveyed.
Jaiswal highlighted India’s longstanding role as a first responder in regional crises, recalling India’s aid to Myanmar after Cyclone Yagi last year.
1,644 People Killed In Myanmar Earthquake
At least 1,644 people have been killed in Myanmar due to the earthquake, which also affected neighbouring Thailand. The MEA stated that no casualties have been reported among the Indian community in Myanmar so far.
“Our embassy is very active. They are in touch with Indian community organisations… So far, no casualty has been reported among the Indian nationals, and we are in touch with Indian community organisations for their welfare and safety,” Jaiswal stated.
The Indian embassy team in Yangon and Naypyitaw is coordinating the movement of personnel from India, while the Indian Navy is in contact with their Myanmarese counterparts to ensure smooth relief operations.
India shares a 1,643-kilometre-long border with Myanmar and has historically provided humanitarian assistance to the country in times of crisis.
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