After completing a 10-day rescue mission in earthquake-hit Türkiye, a 47-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and members of the dog squad, Rambo and Honey, returned to India on Friday. The death toll in Türkiye and north-western Syria has surpassed 44,000, reported news agency ANI.
NDRF Sub-Inspector Shivani Agrawal spoke to the news agency about how she and her team helped the affected people. She said, "My entire team has returned, including five women. The earthquake has devastated Türkiye, and the situation is very dire. We worked as a team to help those affected and provided emotional support."
Although India's NDRF made headlines for its successful rescue of a six-year-old girl, most of the credit for the daring rescue should go to "Romeo" and "Julie," two members of the NDRF's dog squad, reported ANI. When technology failed, Romeo and Juliet succeeded. With the help of the dog squad, the whereabouts of the little child buried under tonnes of rubble were discovered.
NDRF officer Ravinder said, "NDRF is participating in rescue operations and making efforts to rescue those trapped in the ruins. The police and army are working together for the same."
India has offered humanitarian aid to Türkiye, which was affected by a powerful earthquake. An Indian Air Force C17 flight carrying more than 50 members of the NDRF, a specially trained dog squad, and tools required for relief work, including medical supplies, drilling machines, and other equipment, headed for Türkiye, on February 7, as reported by ANI.
Two distinct teams of NDRF, a 51-member team and a 50-member team, along with a specially trained Labrador breed dog squad, which is an expert in sniffing and other essential skills during rescue operations in disaster-hit regions, departed on Tuesday for Türkiye. One team reached Türkiye in the morning, and the other reached in the evening, according to ANI's report.