India Sends Relief Material To Turkey, Syria After Deadly Earthquake

The death toll has reached 4,300 in Turkey & Syria after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. India has sent medical supplies, rescuers & other equipment to both counties.

Even as rescuers searched through the chilly night into Tuesday in the hopes of pulling more survivors from the rubble following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 3,800 people and overthrown thousands of buildings across a wide region.

India has sent the first batch of relief supplies to Turkey aboard an Indian Air Force aircraft.

A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with a specially trained dog squad and the necessary tools, such as a variety of medical supplies, cutting-edge drilling machines, and other essential equipment needed for the assistance efforts, drifted away for Turkey for search and rescue operations hours after the Prime Minister’s Office made its announcement.

“Indian capacities for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) in action. Along with the NDRF Search and Rescue Teams, highly trained dog squads, medical supplies, drilling machines, and other necessary equipment, the first batch of earthquake relief supplies departed for Turkiye “Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

Prior to this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a swift recovery. 

Additionally, Modi gave instructions to officials to provide whatever support feasible in dealing with the quake’s consequences.

“Angered by the deaths and property destruction caused by the earthquake in Turkey. Condolences to the families of the deceased. May the wounded get better quickly,” Modi wrote in a tweet.

“A friend in need is truly a friend,” the Turkish ambassador to India, Firat Sunel, stated in response to the Indian government’s offer of support.

Another Turkish adage he quoted was “Dost kara gunde belli olur,” which translates to “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

In Turkey and Syria, tens of thousands of people who were made homeless had to spend the night outside in the cold. 

People sought sanctuary in malls, stadiums, mosques, and community centers in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a provincial capital that is 33 kilometers from the epicenter. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, proclaimed 7 days of national mourning.

Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, called Erdogan to offer his condolences and support to the NATO ally. 

The White House announced that it would send search and rescue personnel to assist Turkey.

Residents of Damascus and Beirut rushed into the streets in response to the earthquake, which was felt as far away as Cairo and was centered in the southeastern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras.