India on Friday sent a military field hospital and more than 35 tons of relief supplies to Venezuela to help victims of the two devastating earthquakes that killed nearly 600 people and injured thousands more.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on social media that two C-17 heavy transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force carried urgent assistance to support relief efforts in Venezuela after the earthquake. The Indian relief effort was dubbed “Operation Amistad.” Amistad means friendship in Spanish, which is the official language of Venezuela.
Jaishankar said the assistance sent by India includes an Indian Army field hospital unit and more than 35 tons of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment. The materials carried by the transport planes included two cubes of BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyug, Hita and Maitri), which are modular emergency medical systems developed by the government. The cubes act as fast-deploying mobile hospitals designed to save lives during the critical “golden hour” after a disaster.
“India is committed to supporting the government and people of Venezuela at this difficult time,” Jaishankar said.
Personnel and equipment from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also airlifted by Indian Air Force aircraft to assist in search and rescue operations, officials said.
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday that the death toll had risen to 589, and the number of injured to 2,980. The earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurred one minute apart on Wednesday evening. The second earthquake was the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900. More than 200 aftershocks also occurred.
International rescue teams, including 80 Swiss rescuers, a team from El Salvador and a team of Mexican relief workers, joined the search for survivors. The Netherlands also sent a rescue team.
