How India rushed to send relief and supplies to earthquake-ravaged Turkey

“Most of the team members did not have passports. Rescuers had to take off immediately; So MEA opened its offices and was printing passports. Separately, the Turkish Embassy in Delhi also ensured visa on arrival for all rescuers, Bundela said at a press briefing by the NDRF on Tuesday.

India launched Operation Dost with the aim of assisting Turkish authorities in relief operations and sent teams of NDRF and Indian Army.

At the briefing on Tuesday, NDRF Director General (DG) Atul Karwal explained how various ministries had come together to ensure that rescuers were sent to Turkey immediately.

“The Ministry of Defense provided three C-17 Globemaster aircraft which enabled us to send all the rescuers with equipment and 11 of our own vehicles. We did not want to burden the local administration there during the golden hour of rescue. The plane could accommodate all our vehicles. We were able to start work immediately as we had our own vehicles. Some rescue teams from other countries were unable to respond immediately due to a lack of vehicles.”

DG Karwal also said that due to the aftershocks after the first earthquake on February 6, the teams stayed in the open with tents. “We did not want to be a burden on the local administration there. Our teams had their own tent, ration and fuel. We were among the first international teams to reach there.”

During the search and rescue operation three teams of NDRF found two minor girls- Bereen (6) and Mirae (8) alive after more than 84 hours and recovered 85 bodies from the debris.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with all the 152 jawans of the force involved in the operation on Monday evening. PM Modi appreciated the efforts of the force and said that NDRF should document the learnings from Turkey and strive to become the best response force in the world.

Karwal said the PM had extended full support, a meeting was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office and official passports were made on the same day the first team left Indian shores at around 3 am on February 7.

In the press conference on Tuesday, Karwal also told how the NDRF team had won the hearts of the citizens in Turkey. “There are many stories that our rescuers have. Let me share one. One of our officers, Deepak, had recovered the bodies of a family of a man named Ahmed. Deepak is a vegetarian. Wherever Deepak went as part of his deployment duty, Ahmed Ahmed went on the spot and got Deepak a vegetarian meal. Be it apples or tomatoes, whatever Ahmed could manage, he brought for Deepak.”