The sixth flight from India carrying rescue personnel, essentials and medical equipment for earthquake relief efforts have reached Turkiye, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Thursday.
He took to Twitter and said that more rescue teams, dog squads, and essential medications have been sent on the flight to the earthquake-stricken nation.
MEA Jaishankar in another tweet mentioned that a field hospital in Turkiye has been set up where medical experts will treat the ones in need.
The tweet read, "This field hospital in Hatay, Türkiye will treat those affected by the earthquake. Our team of medical & critical care specialists and equipment are preparing to treat emergencies.”
India launched 'Operation Dost' to extend assistance to Turkiye as well as Syria following Monday's devastating quake that killed more than 15,000
people and left thousand others injured.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi said that the field hospital under 'OperationDost' has been set up at Iskenderun, Hatay province in Turkiye by the Indian Army.
Turkiye's Ambassador to India Firat Sunel has described 'Operation Dost' as a "very important operation" and demonstrated the friendship between the two nations.
Firat Sunel made the remarks at the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad from where Indian Air Force's C17 Globemaster aircraft with the NDRF team, medical equipment, relief equipment, took off for Turkiye, as part of the ongoing 'Operation Dost.' He said, "Operation Dost is a symbolic operation. It already proves that we are friends. We have to deepen our relations."
V Muraleedharan, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, who was also present at the Hindon Airbase, has stated that India is ready to extend support to the earthquake-affected Turkiye and its people. He added, four teams working on the ground in Turkiye, including two rescue teams, dog squads and two medical teams are working on the ground presently.
On February 6, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria was followed by a string of aftershocks that led to significant destruction, left scores of people dead, and infrastructure in both nations affected.
(With inputs from ANI)