New Zealand Air Force Sends Rescue Aircraft to Vanuatu
Click to start listening
Wellington, Dec 19 (NationPress) A New Zealand Air Force rescue aircraft has landed in Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, as reported by the New Zealand Defence Force.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed, "Our thoughts remain with the people of Vanuatu at this difficult time, and we will continue to assist as required."
The aircraft is equipped with search and rescue tools, along with consular staff from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and six personnel from the New Zealand Defence Force, including medics. They will aid in planning the emergency response and assist with evacuations for New Zealand citizens, as stated in a Defense Force media release.
Moreover, a second carrier aircraft is en route to transport urban search and rescue teams and their equipment to Vanuatu.
A surveillance flight by a New Zealand Air Force plane is currently being conducted over Vanuatu and surrounding regions to gather imagery for damage assessments, as reported on Wednesday, with operations expected to continue into Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon, another New Zealand Air Force aircraft departed from Auckland to deliver additional humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies to Vanuatu, as well as facilitate evacuations.
In response to a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck on Tuesday, Vanuatu has declared a state of emergency. The official death toll has been adjusted to nine but is anticipated to rise.
Additionally, on Wednesday, Australia dispatched several officials to aid in the search and rescue efforts following the significant earthquake.
The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) from Australia sent its first relief crews to Vanuatu aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster destined for Port Vila.
According to Dickinson Tevi, Secretary-General of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, the death toll is expected to increase.
Douglas May, the task force leader of DART, stated that the relief crew, which includes firefighters, paramedics, engineers, doctors, and canine search and rescue teams, anticipates a challenging mission ahead.
"We expect that as soon as we arrive, we will be rescuing known live victims," he told reporters before departure.
"Ultimately, we know there are lives to be saved. So that is the priority, and after that, it will be about locating the deceased and providing services like water purification."
More than 200 individuals have sustained injuries, with rescue operations concentrated on two buildings that collapsed in the capital, as stated by Vanuatu Police Commissioner Robson Iavro.
