edited by: Shankhneel Sarkar
Last Update: February 10, 2023, 09:37 IST
A Turkish woman hugs an Indian Army officer at a field hospital in earthquake-hit Hatay, Turkey. Under Operation Dost, the Indian Army has set up a field hospital in the area (Image: Indian Army/Twitter)
Hatay’s picture of a Turkish woman hugging an Indian Army officer has warmed the hearts of many netizens, with many netizens thanking India for its quick response to the earthquake in Turkey.
A picture of a Turkish woman hugging an Indian Army officer who helped with rescue operations in Turkey’s Hatay after the devastating earthquake that hit the country and northern Syria earlier this week has gone viral.
The photo went viral after it was posted on Twitter by freelance journalist Zahhak Tanveer. The same image was earlier shared on the Indian Army’s Twitter handle with the caption: ‘We Care’.
The pictures were possibly clicked at a field hospital set up by the Indian Army and the Indian Rescue Mission in Hatay, Turkey. Parts of Hatay and neighboring Iskenderun have been reduced to rubble, and entire city blocks have been reduced to rubble after the earthquake.
The earthquake has so far claimed 21,051 lives, with more than 17,674 killed in Turkey. So far 3,377 people have died in Syria. The number is expected to rise as rescue teams pull people out of the rubble.
Most of the deaths due to the earthquake occurred in the southeastern province bordering Syria.
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed through a tweet that the Indian Army has set up a field hospital in the earthquake-hit city.
News18 reported earlier this week that the Indian Army has sent a 99-member medical team to Turkey.
Later, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also shared an incident on Twitter where Indian Army officers saved the life of a six-year-old girl, Beren, in Gaziantep.
“Proud of our NDRF. (During) a rescue operation in Turkey, Team IND-11 saved the life of a six-year-old girl, Beren, in the city of Gaziantep. Under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, we are determined to make NDRF the world’s leading disaster response force. #OperationDost,” Shah said in a tweet.
Under Operation Dost, India Turkey has sent over 250 personnel, specialized equipment and over 129 tons of other relief supplies. Five C-17 Indian Air Force aircraft were used to transport personnel and material.
India has been able to send over 250 personnel, specialized equipment and over 129 tonnes of other relief material to Turkey on 5 C-17 IAF aircraft.
Turkish Ambassador to India Firat Sunel thanked India for the support given by the government to his country. “Operation Dost is a very important operation. And it is an operation of friendship because DOST is a word in Hindi and Turkish which means friend. And this operation reflects our friendship between India and Turkey and dost is always a- help others Year,
Meanwhile, the sixth aircraft carrying personnel and relief material from India has reached Turkey.
read all Breaking News Here