India Pushes Operation Samudra Maitri to Aid Tsunami-Hit Indonesia

The operation was launched after a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Modi with President Joko Widodo.

People inspect buildings damaged by earthquake in Sembalun, on Lombok Island, Indonesia.

(Photo: AP)

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bharadwaj

To aid the survivors affected in the 7.5- magnitude earthquake and consequent tsunami that hit Central Sulawesi province of Indonesia, India on Wednesday, 3 October, launched 'Operation Samudra Maitri', IANS reported citing a statement released by External Affairs Ministry.

According to the statement, the operation was launched after a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 1 October where the Indonesian president accepted international aid.

“Two IAF aircraft – a C-130J and a C-17 – are carrying medical personnel and relief material for humanitarian assistance.”

External Affairs Ministry statement 

The statement also added that Indian Naval ships INS Tir, INS Sujatha and INS Shardul have been mobilised for humanitarian assistance and is expected to reach the Sulawesi province on 6 October.

Death Toll Passes 1,400

The death toll left behind by the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami climbed over 1,400 people till 4 October, according to AFP. The number is expected to rise further.

In the city of Palu alone, hundreds of people have been injured and thousands of homes have been damaged. The nearby cities of Donggala and Mamuju are also destroyed, but little information is available due to ruined roads and disrupted telecommunications.

The powerful earthquake and tsunami which hit Indonesia's central Sulawesi province has claimed many lives. In fact, central Sulawesi is marked by a devastated coastline after a three-metre high (10 foot) tsunami triggered by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake smashed into two cities and several settlements on Friday.

A man surveys the damage caused by earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Saturday, 29 September.(Photo: AP/Rifki)

In Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province, a large bridge spanning a coastal river has collapsed and the city was strewn with debris. The city is built around a narrow bay that apparently magnified the force of the tsunami waters as they raced into the tight inlet.

An AP reporter saw bodies partially covered by tarpaulin and a man carrying a dead child through the wreckage. Indonesian TV showed a smartphone video of a powerful wave hitting Palu, with people screaming and running in fear. The water smashed into buildings and a large mosque was damaged by the earthquake.

Communication with the area is difficult because power and telecommunications are cut, hampering search and rescue efforts.

A department store building is seen heavily damaged by earthquake in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Saturday, 29 September.(Photo: AP/Rifki)

Disaster agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho had said the runway of Palu's airport was not damaged and essential aircraft could land there.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric have said that UN officials were in contact with Indonesian authorities and "stand ready to provide support as required."

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people.

(With inputs from AP)