MAS-01 TEAM IN MYANMAR NOT DETERRED BY DAILY AFTERSHOCKS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- "We can feel aftershocks in Myanmar almost every day, no less than magnitude 3.0 and the highest felt was magnitude 5.2, but they never weakened the spirit of the MAS-01 team in their efforts to rescue as many victims as possible."

That was among the experiences shared by the MAS-01 Contingent Commander of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) Operation Myteam Relief Mohamad Hafiezul Abdul Halim throughout the operation in the disaster area in Myanmar, especially in the difficult rubble area.

"The team has an application that can detect the magnitude of the earthquake which will be updated daily. As a level of preparation (if an aftershock occurs), we take the approach of staying on the ground, setting up our own tents and so on to reduce the impact of the disaster.

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"Thankfully, we went and returned safely. The assignment was to the three affected districts, namely Mandalay, Naypyidaw and Sagaing. Alhamdulillah, the cooperation from Myanmar, especially the Local Disaster Management Authority (LEMA), was very good,” he told reporters at the MAS-01 Team Welcome Ceremony at the SMART Pulau Meranti Headquarters, here today.

A total of 50 members and officers of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) departed for Naypyidaw, Myanmar on March 30 for a humanitarian aid mission and to participate in search and rescue (SAR) operations for earthquake victims in the country.

All of them safely returned at about 5 pm this afternoon at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Subang Air Base and their arrival was welcomed by Armed Forces chief, General Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar and NADMA director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus.

Sharing the challenges faced by the MAS-01 team, Mohamad Hafiezul, who is also the Senior Superintendent of Fire Department 1 (PgKB 1), said the hot and dry weather which reached 41 degrees Celsius, was quite challenging but it did not dampen the spirits of the two groups who work in shifts every day.

“The hours of duty are 8 to 1 pm and 1 pm to 6 pm. Our success was when we managed to find a survivor, a 47-year-old man who was trapped for six days under the rubble. We understand he is a principal at a school,” he said.

The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar 10 days ago has risen to at least 3,514, with 210 people still missing, according to figures released by Myanmar’s military government on Monday, German news agency (dpa) reported.

Most of the casualties were reported around Mandalay, the country’s second largest city, where more than 2,100 deaths have been confirmed.

Meanwhile, NADMA deputy director-general of Operations Datuk Dr Abdul Gapar Abu Bakar in his speech at the ceremony said that upon landing, the MAS-01 team had undergone health screening and all of them were physically and mentally healthy.

"During the six-day assignment, the team conducted SAR operations at 11 worksites, most of which were beyond the capabilities of the equipment and complex rubble areas.

"In addition to one survivor, the team also removed 10 deceased victims including four children. The team members are 'national ambassadors' who managed to be mobilised in a short period of time with thorough preparation," he said.

Asked if there might be a second mission, he said that for now there is no need and this operational mission is over, but it would be considered if there is a request.

"...if there is a request, we might follow up, but the next stage (in Myanmar) is more of a post-disaster phase," he said.

-- BERNAMA