KUALA LUMPUR: Two Royal Malaysian Airforce (RMAF) A400M aircraft carrying the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART), a National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Team as well as search and rescue equipment arrived at the Nay Pyi Taw International Airport in Myanmar today.
NADMA said that the first aircraft arrived at 11.36 am while the second arrived at 2 pm, after taking off at 9.30 am and 10 am respectively from the RMAF Subang Air Base here.
“After arrival, they (the teams) will move to the operation area in Sagaing Division through a land route, which will take eight hours,” the agency said in a statement today.
The 50-strong SMART is led by contingent commander Mohamad Hafiezul Abdul Halim, and comprise of 16 armed forces personnel, 13 police personnel and 21 fire and rescue department personnel.
As of yesterday, the number of casualties from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar stood at almost 2,000, with thousands more injured and at least hundreds missing.
