New Delhi, Mar 29, 2025, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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New Delhi, Mar 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar amid the earthquake tragedy and reaffirmed India’s "steadfast commitment" as a close friend and neighbor to stand in solidarity with that country during this challenging time.
In response to this calamity, the Government of India has launched 'Operation Brahma', an initiative to provide immediate relief and assistance to the affected regions, an official release said.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Spoke with Senior General H.E. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour.
"Disaster relief material, humanitarian assistance, search & rescue teams are being expeditiously dispatched to the affected areas as part of #OperationBrahma.”
Meanwhile, India delivered 15 tonnes of relief material by a C130J military aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Yangon and dispatched more supplies by air and sea along with rescue teams under the emergency mission 'Operation Brahma'.
The supplies to the Myanmarese city included tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, solar lamps, generator sets and essential medicines, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Indian naval ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and headed for the port of Yangon.
In a separate social media post, Jaishankar also said that an 80-member strong search and rescue team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) departed for Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw. They will assist the rescue operations in Myanmar.
India had deployed NDRF abroad on two previous occasions -- during the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2023 Turkiye quake.
Two more IAF aircraft are being loaded with relief material for Myanmar and the planes will depart from Air Force Station Hindon soon, according to officials. Sixty para-field ambulances are also being sent by air to Myanmar as part of Operation Brahma, the officials said.
"#OperationBrahma gets underway. First tranche of humanitarian aid from India has reached the Yangon Airport in Myanmar," Jaishankar posted on 'X' after India dispatched the first consignments of relief supplies.
India has acted as a "First Responder" to assist the people of Myanmar affected by Friday's massive earthquake, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges and other infrastructures. Myanmar's military-led government said in a statement on Saturday that 1,002 people have been found dead and another 2,376 injured, adding detailed figures are still being collected.