Turkey earthquake: Julie, Romio among four-member NDRF dog squad to carry out rescue mission

NDRF director general Atul Karwal told news agency ANI that the dog squad of the force and the teams are fully equipped to carry out state-of-the-art search and rescue mission.

Julie, Romio, Honey, and Rambo are part of the four-member dog squad of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), dispatched to carry out rescue missions in the crisis-hit Turkey which is reeling under the devastating effect of a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on Monday. The specially trained Labrador breed dog squad, expert in sniffing and other key rescue operation skills in disaster-hit regions, reached Turkey Tuesday with two separate teams of NDRF comprising 101 men.

The teams will be carrying out intense rescue operations in the Turkish regions devastated by the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Monday. (ANI)

The teams will be carrying out intense rescue operations in the Turkish regions devastated by the massive earthquake which was followed by four more major temblors and multiple aftershocks, toppling hospitals, buildings, and apartments in which thousands are still feared trapped under the rubbles.

NDRF director general Atul Karwal told news agency ANI that the dog squad of the force and the teams are fully equipped to carry out state-of-the-art search and rescue, and personal safety equipment and will be assisting the local Turkish authorities in the rescue mission.

The specialist teams were sent along with drilling machines, relief material, medicines and other equipment via C-17 Globemaster military aircrafts. A team from the Indian Army’s Agra-based army field hospital was also sent to establish a 30-bed medical facility. They include critical care specialists and orthopaedic and general surgeons, and are equipped with X-ray machines, ventilators, an oxygen generation plant and other equipment.

The death toll across Turkey, Syria has topped 9,500 with around 7,000 lives lost in Turkey. In war-torn Syria, the toll climbed over 2,547 on Wednesday, AFP reported citing officials.

(With bureau inputs)