Very emotional: Odia jawan on ‘Op Dost’ experience in Turkiye

BHUBANESWAR/ANGUL: Bibekananda Dehury (28), from Odisha, who was one of the members of Operation Dost launched by India to help earthquake-ravaged Turkiye, is still haunted by the death and destruction. “Could not control my emotion after witnessing death and injury of people and largescale devastation in Turkiye,” he said.
Dehury, a para-commando of the Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment, said he, along with 98 others of the rescue operation, boarded a C-17 Globe Master military transport aircraft on February 7 and landed at 1.30am at Adana Airport on February 8.Later, they travelled 114 km and reached the devastated area in Iskenderun.
“We had taken seven vehicles, medicines and equipment to set up a field hospital. We immediately set up the 30-bed makeshift para-field hospital within six hours. We were working in -5 degrees Celsius temperature. I was helping the doctors with treating the injured. Initially, the inflow of the patients ranged from 50 to 60, but it increased to 400 to 500 later,” he added.
He said the situation in the area was very grim. “Our team was treating the injured people. We were helping the people to reach safe shelters. I met many people who have lost their family members. During our stay, we felt tremors in that area around six times,” he added.
Dehury, who hails from village Gada Taila under Kumurusingha gram panchayat in Angul district, said they treated patients with minor injuries and even performed surgeries.