New Delhi7 minutes ago
- copy link
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams that went from India for rescue in the earthquake that hit Turkey on February 6 have returned and brought with them the love, respect and many memories of the people of Turkey.
The team members told how the people affected by the disaster took care of the Indian rescue team, how despite the difference of language, the people there expressed their respect and love for the rescue team, how the rescue team members lived without bathing for 10 days. Engaged in saving and while returning gave all his belongings to the needy. Even while coming, the only thought in his heart was that I wish I could have saved some more people.
On February 7, NDRF started the rescue operation in Turkey. In 10 days, the team rescued two girls and pulled out 85 bodies from the debris. The team returned to India last week. All the team members were greeted at the Prime Minister’s residence on Monday, 20 February. The officers and jawans who returned from there shared their professional, personal experiences and challenges during these 10 days.
Read the story of this rescue operation by the members of the rescue team…
overnight passports
India had sent 152 NDRF personnel to the disaster zone within 48 hours of the earthquake. Officials said that only a few members had diplomatic passports to go abroad. NDRF Inspector General NS Bundela said that NDRF teams from Kolkata and Varanasi sent hundreds of documents through fax and email, which were processed by the Passport and Visa Division of the Ministry of External Affairs within minutes and passports were issued overnight.
Second in command operations rank officer Rakesh Ranjan told that Turkey gave visa on arrival to our teams and the teams were deployed in Nurdagi and Hatay in Gaziantep province.
Ahmed fed apples by sprinkling salt and spices
Deputy Commandant Deepak told that a man whose wife and three children had died in the earthquake, took care that wherever I am stationed, I get vegetarian food. If he had any tomato or apple, he would sprinkle salt and spices and give it to me. He hugged me and called me brother, I can never forget this.
Female constable went on mission leaving 18 month old twins
Constable Sushma Yadav (32 years) was among the five women rescuers of the team who were sent for disaster combat operation abroad for the first time. For this, she had to leave her 18-month-old twins with her parents-in-law.
He said that not even once did the thought cross my mind that I should not go. I just thought if we don’t, then who will. It was the first time that I was without children for so many days but this did not deter me in the rescue operation.
He told that he and a male accomplice were two paramedics of the NDRF team. Their job was to keep the rescue team safe, healthy and fit so that they could continue their mission without falling sick even in sub-zero temperatures.
People kept NDRF badges as a memento
Second in command rank officer VN Parashar, who led his team on the ground, said that the people there gave him military patches to be used on police and army uniforms to show thanks and his team which had NDRF India and NDRF logos , Kept them as a memento of Indian friendship.
Parashar told that he and the rest of the team members received many messages on WhatsApp, in which people had written thanks. People had sent thanks to him in Hindi after translating it from Google. He told that the local people did not know Hindi and English. What we saw was the language of respect for humanity and India. I wish we could have saved more lives… But what we found there is a love that cannot be easily earned.