Another Indian Air Force (IAF) flight with more rescue teams, essential medicines and dog squads has reached the quake-hit Turkey. Laden with more relief material, NDRF personnel, and medical and rescue equipment IAF’s sixth plane has landed in Turkey.

On his twitter handle External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said on Thursday, “The sixth `Operation Dost’ flight reaches Turkey. More search and rescue teams, dog squads, essential search & access equipment, medicines and medical equipment ready for deployment in the relief efforts.”

The minister also shared pictures of the Field Hospital which has been set up by a team from the Indian Army in Turkey where the medical experts are getting set to treat emergencies. Following the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria more than 15,000 lives are reported to have been lost.

Jaishankar tweeted: “This field hospital in Hatay, Turkey will treat those affected by the earthquake. Our team of medical & critical care specialists and equipment are preparing to treat emergencies.”

Also read: Operation Dost: India sends more Humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria

At a special briefing on `Operation Dost’, on Wednesday official spokesperson of the MEA Arindam Bagchi said that the Indian Army has set up a field hospital at Iskenderun, Hatay province in Turkey. And this has been set up under `Operation Dost’.

Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) told media persons at the special briefing that the earthquake struck the Southern part of Turkey and Syria and the area it covers on the Turkish part is almost 1.2 lakh square kilometers and it is West to East about 450 kms and from North to South about 290 kms. And 10 provinces have been hit, and seven are in severe condition. The magnitude was 7.6 and then 7.7, and there were 435 aftershocks and the impact of the earthquake was felt in several countries including Syria, Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon.

The casualties are around 8,574 and around 49,133 have been injured, these numbers were shared by President Erdogan of Turkey on Wednesday. However the numbers could be much higher.

In Syria around 1,262 casualties have been reported and more than 2,285 are known to be injured.

On Thursday at the Hindon Airbase from where IAF’s C17 Globemaster aircraft took off with the medical and relief equipment and personnel of NDRF, Turkey‘s Ambassador to India Firat Sunel has described Operation Dost as a “very important operation” and demonstrated the friendship between the two nations.

He told the media persons that “Operation Dost is a symbolic operation. It already proves that we are friends. We have to deepen our relations.”

Also read: Death toll from Turkey, Syrian earthquake surpasses 15,000 after more bodies found in rubble

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who was also present at the Hindon Airbase, said that India stands ready to extend support to the people of earthquake-hit Turkey.

The minister said that there are four teams which are working on the ground in Turkey and this includes the two medical teams, rescue teams as well as dog squads.

What is Operation Dost?

Under this India has sent a massive amount of humanitarian aid for Turkey and Syria in a joint operation with the Indian Army, and Indian Air Force.