MYANMAR EARTHQUAKE : SINGAPORE DEPLOYS OPERATION LIONHEART FOR RESCUE EFFORTS

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) deployed the Operation Lionheart (OLH) contingent on Saturday to assist in disaster rescue efforts in Myanmar following the earthquake on Friday.

SCDF said on Facebook that the 80-member contingent, led by Colonel Tay Zhi Wei, departed from Changi Airport at around 1.20 pm, in response to the request for humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake.

The contingent comprises rescuers from the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART), Operationally Ready National Servicemen (ORNS), full-time National Servicemen medical doctors, paramedics, search specialists with four canines, hazardous materials specialists, and support officers.

“The OLH contingent is carrying an array of portable Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) equipment such as cutting, breaking and lifting equipment, as well as life detection devices and fibre-optic scopes,” SCDF said.

Since the formation of the OLH contingent in 1990, it has been deployed throughout the Asia-Pacific region to render humanitarian assistance to countries hit by major disasters, including the Highland Towers collapse in Malaysia, the Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the Christchurch earthquake in 2011.

In addition, three SCDF officers have also been deployed to Myanmar as part of the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ERAT) under the auspices of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre).

The ASEAN-ERAT’s primary function is to provide rapid assessments and determine the critical resources required for the areas affected by the earthquake.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Sagaing, Myanmar, around 12.50 pm local time on Friday has so far killed 1,002 people, with many more reported injured and missing.

-- BERNAMA