The Indian Air Force has airlifted more than 500 troops in Sikkim, including the medical and engineering teams and is conducting sorties of heavy lift transport aircraft and choppers from Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Bagdogra to ferry troops and ensure supply of medicines and food.
"There are eight to 13 helicopters which have been pressed into service in conjunction with the Air Force. Thirty five heavy engineering plant equipments have been deployed to restore roads and communication lines," Deputy Director General of Military Operations Brigadier Ranbir Singh said in New Delhi.
Rescue efforts covering 62 villages and 20 medical centers have been set wherein over 370 people have been treated and eight relief centers have been established where over 2700 people have been provided shelter, Singh said.
On rescue efforts in Mangan -- epicenter of the quake, which hit Sikkim on Sunday, he said, "281 troops have reached Mangan, including four medical and two engineering teams. A relief camp has been established there and communication teams are working to establish telephone lines."
The aircraft deployed includes two newly inducted heavyweight C-130 J which airlifted more than 200 personnel of National Disaster Response Force to Kolkata.
Twenty medical centers have been set up in the quake-affected areas in Sikkim and 11 cookhouses to provide relief.
"The air bases around Delhi and Bagdogra were activated within few hours of the tragedy. The first flight of C-130 J with about 100 NDRF personnel and five tonnes of equipment took off at around midnight and landed in Bagdogra at 2:00 hours on Monday," Principal Director Operation (transport and helicopters) Air Commodore A Raghvendra said.
The IL-76 heavy lift transport aircraft took off from Chandigarh to Kolkata and airlifted about 100 personnel with equipments and on 19th four Mi-17 and two Cheetah helicopters were activated for casualty evacuations, he said.
