The Indian government has launched a massive rescue and assistance operation to provide support for Indonesia, as the country has been ravaged by earthquake and Tsunami. According to the reports, the Indian Navy will be dispatching two transport aircraft and three naval ships carrying relief material to Indonesia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
The MEA in a statement said that the relief operation ‘Samudra Maitri’ for humanitarian assistance was launched after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday.
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We have launched ‘Operation Samudra Maitri’ to assist victims of earthquake & tsunami in #Indonesia. Two IAF aircrafts have departed carrying onboard medical personnel and relief material today. Press Release at https://t.co/GgLU995N0R pic.twitter.com/oNK7beVBDR— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) October 3, 2018
The Indian government has dispatched two Indian Air Force transport aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 on Wednesday morning with medical personnel and relief material. Reportedly, the C-130J aircraft is carrying a medical team along with tents and equipment to set up a field hospital, while the C-17 aircraft is carrying medicines, generators, tents and water to provide immediate assistance.
Additionally Indian Navy has also dispatched three Indian Naval Ships —INS Tir, INS Sujatha and INS Shardul to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). According to the MEA, these Indian Navy ships are likely to reach the Central Sulawesi province of Indonesia by October 6.
The recent twin quake-tsunami disaster has ravaged Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province and the death toll has reached more than 1,400. The magnitude-7.5 quake struck at 5:02 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, generating a devastating tsunami. This tragic incident comes as Indonesia is still recovering from recent 6.9 magnitude earthquake which had struck Indonesia’s resort island of Lombok in August, killing at least 500 people and injuring more than 1,300 others.
The Indian armed forces have a wide experience of disaster relief operations both at home and abroad, where they have been the core of relief operations. India, being one of the global superpowers, has been swift in responding to emergency situations and providing assistance to countries that have been devastated by the natural disasters. The Indian Navy, a blue-water navy has always stood up for the challenge and has successfully demonstrated its capabilities in various HADR operations and has received praise from the global community in the recent years.
