New Delhi: In the just concluded `Op Maitri` in quake-hit Nepal, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Army flew 2223 sorties, evacuated about 11,200 people (including 780 casualties) to safer places and transported and dropped about 1700 tonnes of relief materials.
The Indian armed forces Rapid Action Medical Teams extended medical assistance to 4762 injured, including 300 surgeries, 216 hospital admissions and 4174 OPD cases.
The mammoth Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) tasks carried out by the IAF and Indian Army from April 25 wound up on June 4 within four hours of the earthquake that struck Nepal, IAF swung into action and routed one C-130J aircraft, two C-17, one IL-76, airlifting 295 NDRF personnel, 46.5 tonnes of load and five sniffer dogs.
Lots of relief material for over a month were airlifted like water, field hospitals, blankets, tents, paramedics, stretchers, medicines, prepared food, milk, utensils, vegetables, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), RO Plants, Oxygen Regenerators, Air Force Communication Centre Vehicles, Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) with its transportable Operation Theatre, X-ray, Laboratory and patient beds etc.
IAF aircraft that took part in the operation included heavy lifters C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, IL-76 Gajraj and medium lifter An-32.Large scale relief and rescue operations were carried out by Mi-17 V5 and Mi-17 helicopters from detachments at Pokhara and Kathmandu. These operations were carried out to far flung inaccessible areas at earthquake affected places that included Lukla, Dhading, Millanchi, Gorkha and other remote villages.
The Indian Army`s Everest Expedition team which was located at the Everest Base Camp when the earthquake struck did yeoman service to rescue a number of mountaineers who were affected by an avalanche that was triggered due to the quake. They helped in recovering 18 dead bodies and the team doctor rendered critical medical aid to several mountaineers before they were evacuated by air. Nepal was devastated by a massive earthquake on April 25, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and resulted in the deaths of over 7,000 people.
