The Navy and IAF on Tuesday launched Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief(HADR)operation in aid of earthquake hit people of Indonesia by ferrying material including drinking water, milk, biscuits, medicines, tents and generators through transport planes and three warships. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a telephonic conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and offered all possible assistance.
While the Navy diverted three ships including INS Tir, INS Sujata and INS Shardul from Singapore to Palu in Indonesia, the IAF deployed one C-130J and one C-17 transport aircraft to airlift medical teams and relief material.
Besides HADR bricks or material normally carried by all ships, these ships also have on board 30,000 litres of bottled drinking water, 1,500 litres of packaged juices, 500 litres milk, 700 kg of biscuits and 20 tents. The ships were dispatched at first light on Tuesday morning, Navy officials said here.
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian province of Sulawesi on Friday triggering a Tsunami leaving more than 1,300 dead and lakhs rendered homeless.
The IAF C-130J aircraft is carrying a field hospital from Agra while the C-17 aircraft is carrying National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) load, mainly consisting tents, generators and medicines. The C-130 carrying 37 medical personnel has taken off from Hindan for Chennai. From Chennai the aircraft will fly to Kualanamu international airport and then move to Palu.