MOSCOW, March 28. /TASS/. The Russian Emergencies Ministry has sent two planes carrying rescuers and doctors to Myanmar to help address the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, a ministry spokesperson said.
"Based on orders from the Russian president and emergencies minister, a group of Russian rescuers has departed to Myanmar on two planes from Zhukovsky Airport outside Moscow to help address the aftermath of a powerful earthquake," the spokesperson pointed out.
The ministry’s task force includes 120 rescuers from the Tsentrospas airmobile squad and the Leader Center for High-Risk Rescue Operations, as well as K-9 teams skilled in searching for people under the rubble, anesthesiologists and psychologists from the Emergencies Ministry.
The rescuers have huge experience in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters, including powerful earthquakes. They are ready to carry out search and rescue operations in the most difficult circumstances. The personnel have all the necessary equipment to search for and rescue people trapped under the rubble.
A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. According to various estimates, its magnitude ranged between 7.7 and 7.9. The first quake was followed by another one, with magnitude 6.4. The disaster also affected Thailand; tremors were felt in China and Vietnam. Over 140 people were killed in Myanmar; residential buildings and infrastructure facilities suffered damage. Eight people were killed after a building under construction collapsed in Bangkok, and over 110 people went missing. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Myanmar’s Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing over the devastating earthquake.