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No Bath For 10 Days, Dug Holes To Pee: This Is How Indian Team's Turkey Rescue Op Looked Like

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As a series of devastating earthquakes buried tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria, Indian officials worked overtime to send rescue teams to the disaster-hit country. From the MEA issuing passports through the night to the ITBP providing teams with winter clothing, matters progressed exceedingly rapidly in the hours after the quake.

India launched Operation Dost, aimed at assisting the Turkish authorities in the relief operations, and sent teams from NDRF and the Indian Army. The first team left around 3 am on February 7. But, NDRF’s mission in quake-hit Turkey was full of emotional, professional and personal challenges.

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Over 140 passports processed overnight, visa on arrival granted

Firstly, officials processed hundreds of documents to prepare more than 140 passports overnight. 

Another officer said out of the 152, only a few officers had a diplomatic passport ready to travel to a foreign land, and hundreds of documents were sent in from NDRF teams in Kolkata and Varanasi over fax and email to be processed for making the passport.

“Most members of the team did not have passports. The rescuers had to be flown immediately, so MEA opened their offices and printed the passports. Separately, the Turkish embassy in Delhi also ensured visa on arrival for all the rescuers,” NDRF inspector general (IG) Narendra Bundela said at a press briefing by the NDRF on Tuesday.

Vehicles ferried by military planes

NDRF director general (DG) Atul Karwal said the defence ministry deployed 3 C-17 Globemaster planes to send the rescuers, not just with their equipment but also vehicles.

Karwal said some rescue teams from other countries reached Turkey but couldn’t be deployed immediately for want of vehicles.

Karwal said the teams stayed in the open in tents. “Our teams had their tent, ration, and fuel. We were among the first international teams to reach there,” he added.

No bath for 10 days, dug holes in ground to urinate and defecate 

Sub-Inspector Bintu Bhoria said that no rescuers could bathe for all 10 days they were in Turkey.

Another officer said the NDRF personnel took a sponge bath and dug trenches to defecate and urinate.

“However, we ensured we cleaned all the locations that we lived at. While returning, we only brought along the love and affection of the Turkey people and donated our tents, food, personal clothes, warm clothes etc., for the locals and the Turkish rescuers,” NDRF officer Vipin Pratap Singh said.

Emotions ran high

At the press conference on Tuesday, Karwal also shared stories of how the NDRF team won admirers among the local population for their help.

Some tried to express their appreciation in their unique way.

“Let me share one story. One of our officers (deputy commandant), Deepak (Talwar), recovered the bodies of a family of a man named Ahmed. Deepak is a vegetarian. Wherever Deepak went as part of his deployment duty, Ahmed went to the spot and offered Deepak vegetarian food. Be it an apple or a tomato, whatever Ahmed could manage, he brought for Deepak.”

More than 44,000 people have been killed in the massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake and series of strong aftershocks that struck parts of Turkiye and neighbouring Syria on February 6, flattening thousands of buildings and homes. 

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.

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