PUBLISHED ONApril 01, 2025 12:20 PMByKhoo Yi-HangMore lives can be saved in Myanmar, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Operation Lionheart team leader Colonel Tay Zhi Wei said on Tuesday (April 1).
The Operation Lionheart team, which comprises rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team and national servicemen among others, is involved in the rescue operations in the capital Naypyidaw from Saturday (March 29) morning following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake last Friday which has killed over 2,700 people.
The team successfully freed a man from a collapsed building on Sunday after an eight-hour operation by cutting through the rubble before taking him to a local hospital.
Speaking with media on Tuesday via a Zoom call, Col Tay said that one more person, a 60-year-old lady, was rescued on Tuesday morning, after the crucial 72 hours had passed since the start of the disaster.
That period is crucial in a disaster — because after that, chances of survival are slim, he said.
The lady was extricated from the rubble on Tuesday morning by local fire service before the SCDF arrived on scene, Col Tay said.
The 41-year-old shared that this helped him come to a realisation that "even after (the 72 crucial hours), there will be chances of survival".
"As long as there's a slim, minute chance for survival, we will be here to lend our hand if they need us," he added.
Col Tay also recalled the operation that took place on Sunday at the second site the team visited.
They were called to the site to provide assistance as the local fire department had difficulty extracting the casualty.
"When we arrived on scene, we called out to the casualty, and to our surprise, he was able to respond," he said. "He was in a pretty precarious position."
According to Col Tay, the survivor was trapped in a location that would be difficult to remove him from without moving the rubble.
The fire department had cut a small hole to try and rescue him, but had to stop due to the risk.
Using some "more nimble" battery-operated tools, the SCDF was able to breach a second hole elsewhere and gain access to the casualty, bringing him to safety after eight hours of hard work.
"I think that really gave us a boost (to morale)... we were thinking it would be a very difficult search and rescue operation, (but this rescue) actually gave us hope that there are more lives that we can save," he added.
The SCDF has since managed to complete efforts at 13 sites and has managed to save one person.
It has discovered several dead bodies and have reported them to local authorities, Col Tay said.
When asked if the team would be transitioning from rescue efforts to reclaiming the dead, he stated that this isn't his call to make, but the National Disaster Management Office instead.
"When they do that, then we can officially stand down... I think we can still go on for several days, and as long as there's a minute chance (of saving a life), we will carry on."
Among the 80 rescuers, 48 officers are Muslim and sacrificed their Hari Raya festivities to aid in rescue efforts, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said on Monday (March 31) after a visit to the Ahmad Ibrahim Mosque in Sembawang Road.
“It is a very noble act to go out there and help other people far away," Minister Shanmugam said.
He added: “They were planning for Hari Raya, to be with their loved ones, their family. So now, when duty called, they stepped up, they went their way; so we thank them, and we thank their families too for making the sacrifice."
According to Col Tay, those celebrating Hari Raya had started with prayers in the morning before continuing rescue efforts.
They had visited four sites during Hari Raya, including a hospital.
The day concluded with messages from headquarters with well wishes for Hari Raya, which gave them a boost to morale during the debrief conducted at night.
"It was an extremely busy day and it took us all the way until nightfall before we returned," he said. "That's how they spent Hari Raya."
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