PUBLISHED ONApril 07, 2025 3:39 AMByLim KeweiThe Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) team aiding with search and rescue efforts in Myanmar has helped recover a body from under the rubble of a nine-story hotel which partially collapsed following the major 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28.
In a Facebook post on April 6, SCDF said their Operation Lionheart team has been actively involved in search operations in Ottara Thiri Township in the country's capital Naypyidaw over the past two days.
Together with the Myanmar Earthquake Relief Contingent from Vietnam, rescuers discovered a body beneath "layers of concrete and steel" at the hotel.
The Operation Lionheart contingent then worked with Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency to extricate the body by breaking through the concrete debris.
Additionally, the team has set up two medical outposts, one in Pyokkon and another in Dhakhinna Thiri Townships to provide basic medical care to affected locals, SCDF said in its post.
The contingent's doctors and paramedics, assisted by rescuers, treated wounds and attended to patients experiencing acute post-earthquake symptoms such as dizziness.
They also attended to patients with musculoskeletal issues which were aggravated by carrying heavy loads while seeking refuge from the earthquake.
Operation Lionheart comprises 80 personnel from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, fire stations, full-time national servicemen, doctors, paramedics and search and hazardous materials specialists, as well as four search canines.
Since arriving in Naypyidaw on March 29, the team has searched 26 sites and provided medical care to about 130 locals affected by the quake, said SCDF on April 6.
The death toll from the quake has risen to 3,471, with 4,671 people injured and 214 still missing, reported Reuters on April 6.
In another Facebook post, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said he spoke to the Operation Lionheart team via video call on April 4 and expressed gratitude for their efforts in assisting with disaster rescue efforts.
"I would like to thank the OLH contingent for their unwavering dedication to service," he wrote.
"Stay safe, and we look forward to welcoming you back in Singapore after the mission."
For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.
