India hands over six tonnes of relief materials to quake-hit Syria

New Delhi: India on Wednesday handed over six tonnes of relief materials, including essential medicines and medical equipment, to earthquake-hit Syria.

The consignments were sent on a C-130J military transport aircraft on Tuesday night and were handed over to the Syrian authorities by India's Charge'd Affaires S K Yadav this morning.

India has already sent to Turkiye relief materials, a mobile hospital and specialised search and rescue teams in four C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft on Tuesday to support the country's rescue efforts following the massive earthquake that has killed thousands of people.

In the wake of tragic earthquake that struck North-Western Syria on February 6,  causing massive destruction and loss of precious lives, the government of India has despatched six tonnes of emergency relief assistance through a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Syria, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the consignments were handed over by Yadav to the Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment of Syria Moutaz Douaji at Damascus airport.

"The consignment consists of emergency medicines and equipments including portable ECG machines, patient monitors and other essential medical items," it said in a statement.

The MEA said India, over the years, has been extending humanitarian, technical and developmental assistance to Syria through bilateral and multilateral channels.  India on Monday decided to immediately despatch search and rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force, medical teams and relief material to Turkiye following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instructions to offer all possible assistance to the country.  India sent around 102 tonnes of relief materials to Turkiye.

Several countries, including the US and the UK, are sending relief materials and search and rescue specialists to Turkiye and Syria to help search for survivors of the quake.