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IAF IL-76 flies 9 tonnes of aid, 80 NDRF personnel to Colombo: Jaishankar
India has despatched search and rescue teams and relief materials such as food items, tents and blankets to Sri Lanka to help people affected by Cyclone Ditwah
New Delhi: India has despatched search and rescue teams and relief materials such as food items, tents and blankets to Sri Lanka to help people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, which has killed 123 people across the country, with another 130 reported missing.
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An IL-76 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried nine tonnes of relief materials and two urban search-and-rescue teams, comprising 80 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), to Colombo, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said on social media.
Another C-130J transport aircraft of the IAF carried 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Colombo as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, while the Indian Navy warships INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri, which were in Sri Lanka for an international fleet review, delivered 6.5 tonnes of rations and other essential relief items on Friday.
The 27 tonnes of relief materials delivered by air and sea include food items, tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits and ready-to-eat meals. India’s rapid response reflects its established role as the first responder to natural disasters in the Indian Ocean region.
The two search-and-rescue teams, comprising 80 personnel and four dogs, are equipped with specialised humanitarian assistance and disaster relief equipment and are led by P.K. Tiwary, commandant of the 8th Battalion of the NDRF. These teams have inflatable boats, hydraulic cutting and breaching tools, communication equipment, first-aid kits and other essential stores to support search, rescue and relief operations in the cyclone-affected regions, officials said.
The international deployment complements the NDRF’s domestic preparedness, with 14 teams positioned in vulnerable coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Villupuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Mayiladuthurai.
Additional teams have been earmarked for Puducherry, and 10 more teams are being sent from Pune and Vadodara to Chennai, they said.
The NDRF is monitoring the situation along with theIndia Meteorological Department (IMD), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the external affairs ministry, state governments and other stakeholders to ensure a seamless response domestically and internationally, the officials said.
Torrential rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah have affected almost 44,000 people in Sri Lanka. Many of them were moved to state-run welfare centres after their homes were destroyed in week-long heavy rains, Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.
The cyclone is now moving away from Sri Lanka towards India but has left massive destruction, the DMC said. The effects of the cyclone have been felt since Monday, though it made landfall on Wednesday, triggering record rainfall across Sri Lanka.
Floods in low-lying areas worsened on Saturday, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for people living along the Kelani river, which flows into the Indian Ocean from Colombo.
The Indian High Commission has set up an emergency help desk at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. Indian citizens at Sri Lankan airports or elsewhere in the country who need assistance can reach out to the emergency number +94 773727832.
The Indian High Commission is also providing assistance, including food and water, to Indian passengers stranded at Bandaranaike airport.
