First tranche of 15 tonnes of relief material from India lands in quake-hit Myanmar

New Delhi, March 29
As part of its Act East policy, India sent more than 15 tonnes of relief material to Myanmar on Saturday, following a series of powerful earthquakes that led to widespread death and destruction on Friday, with over 600 people feared killed and the toll expected to climb further.

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said in a post that as part of 'Operation Brahma', India acted as a first responder to assist the people of Myanmar, who were affected by Friday’s massive earthquake.

“Our first tranche of 15 tonnes of relief material, including tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, generators and essential medicines has landed in Yangon,” Randhir Jaiswal posted on Saturday.

India sent the relief materials to Myanmar aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft from Air Force Station Hindon.

According to sources, the relief package includes tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, hygiene kits, solar lamps, generator sets, and essential medicines such as paracetamol, antibiotics, syringes, gloves, and bandages.

The Indian Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and said that there were no reports of any Indian getting hurt so far.

"After powerful earthquake tremors recorded in Bangkok and in other parts of Thailand, the Embassy is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities. So far, no untoward incident involving any Indian citizen has been reported.

“In case of any emergency, Indian nationals in Thailand are advised to contact the emergency number +66 618819218. All members of the Indian Embassy in Bangkok and Consulate in Chiang Mai are safe," it said in a post on X.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, “Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. India stands ready to offer all possible assistance."