How India raced to send relief and supplies to quake-torn Turkey

“Most members of the team did not have passports. The rescuers had to be flown immediately; so MEA opened their offices and were printing passports. Separately, the Turkish embassy in Delhi also ensured visa on arrival for all the rescuers,” Bundela said at a press briefing by the NDRF on Tuesday.

India launched Operation Dost, aimed at assisting the Turkish authorities in the relief operations, and sent teams from NDRF and the Indian Army.

At the briefing on Tuesday, NDRF director general (DG) Atul Karwal narrated how different ministries had come together to ensure that the rescuers were flown immediately to Turkey.

“The defence ministry provided three C-17 Globemaster planes which helped us send all rescuers with tools and also our own 11 vehicles. We did not want to burden the local administration there during the golden hour of rescue. The aircraft could accommodate all our vehicles. It was because we had our vehicles that we were able to start work immediately. Some rescue teams from other countries were unable to get to work immediately for want of vehicles.”

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

The three NDRF teams during the search and rescue operation found two minor girls—Beren (6) and Miray(8) alive—after over 84 hours and recovered 85 bodies from the debris.

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with all the 152 personnel of the force who were involved in the operation. PM Modi lauded the efforts of the force and said that the NDRF should document the learnings from Turkey and strive to be the best response force in the world.

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

At the press conference on Tuesday, Karwal also shared stories of how the NDRF team had won the hearts of citizens in Turkey. “There are many stories that our rescuers have. Let me share one story. 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 went to the spot and offered Deepak vegetarian food. Be it an apple or a tomato, whatever Ahmed could manage, he brought for Deepak.”