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NDRF rescuers return to Varanasi after Operation Dost in Turkey
On return to Varanasi headquarters, the NDRF team members recall their mission in earthquake-ravaged Turkey
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team members from Varanasi on Friday recalled their mission in earthquake-ravaged Turkey where they rescued two girls, aged six months and 12 years, besides taking out over 80 bodies that were trapped under the rubble in the cities of Antakya and Nurdagi.
After concluding the Operation Dost, the NDRF team reached their Varanasi headquarters on Friday.
“There was despair on every face. People were running helter-skelter. The devastating earthquake created deep cracks in the roads. At one place, some locals were staring at the rubble of a building. The quake destroyed houses, buildings and streets in the two cities, Antakya and Nurdagi. In these two cities, we carried out rescue operations for over 20 hours daily,” said deputy commandant Abhishek Rai, the Varanasi NDRF team commander.
Rai, along with NDRF deputy commandant Rambhavan Yadav, led the NDRF Varanasi’s 51-strong squad during the 10-day rescue operation in Turkey.
Starting from Varanasi on February 8, the NDRF team reached the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad where it boarded a special Indian Air Force (IAF) plane and landed at Gaziantep airport, Turkey, next morning.
Dr Pankaj Vatsa, NDRF medical officer, was part of the team of 51.
After reaching Turkey, the NDRF team started for Antakya, around 200 km from the Gaziantep airport. “It took us around 24 hours to reach Antakya because the roads were damaged and (there was a) terrible traffic jam,” recalled Rai.
Soon after reaching there, the team got interpreters and 25 rescuers quickly set up their camp and the remaining started the rescue work.
After around two hours, the 25 others joined them. On February 10, the team recovered four bodies from the debris. In 10 days, the team recovered over 80 bodies from quake-hit locations in the two cities.
“It is quite satisfying that we could save two lives. We rescued a six-month-old girl and 12-year- old from the rubble. The entire NDRF team thanked God and prayed for life of the two girls,” recalled Rai.
“The earthquake had devastated houses, buildings, shops and almost an entire city. The NDRF rescuers tried to help the people as much as they could,” said the NDRF rescuers returned from Turkey.
After breakfast, the NDRF rescuers used to leave for the quake-hit sites for the operation and worked for more than 20 hours daily.
Asked how difficult it was to carry out the rescue operation in quake-hit cities, deputy commandant Rambhavan Singh Yadav said, “NDRF men are trained for it. Each NDRF rescuer is mentally prepared. We reach the site and start working with utmost dedication.”
Sub-inspector Neeraj Kumar and rescuer Arindam Roy said that every NDRF personnel worked very hard during the rescue operation under guidance of the team commander. The team had state-of-the-art equipment required for the rescue operation.
Specially trained dogs Bob and Roxy also played a very crucial role.
The team members also got a chance to see the functioning of rescuers from Australia, France, Malaysia, USA, Romania, the Netherlands and some other countries.
On February 18, the NDRF team boarded the special IAF plane at Adana airport in Turkey and landed at the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad the next day.
As Rai and his team stepped into the 11 NDRF headquarters, Varanasi, on Friday, Uttar Pradesh ministers Ravindra Jaiswal, Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu, divisional commissioner Kaushalraj Sharma and NDRF commandant Manoj Sharma gave a grand welcome to the rescuers.
Rai thanked the people and administration, government for their good wishes and blessings which always keep the team motivated to work in a dedicated manner in tough conditions. NDRF inspector Neeraj Rana said, “We gave a grand welcome to our rescuers as they arrived in the headquarters.”
