By IANS
New Delhi : An Indian Air Force (IAF) Il-76 aircraft left here Thursday with the first instalment of 25 tonnes of relief supplies for the victims of the devastating Bangladesh cyclone.
Altogether, 118 tonnes of supplies including tents, blankets, medicines and ready-to-eat food packets worth Rs.40 million will be flown out on two flights Friday and Saturday, an IAF spokesman said.
Captained by Wing Commander J. Narula, the Il-76 of the IAF’s Nagpur-based 44 Squadron, departed from here at 11.10 a.m.
The decision to despatch the aid was taken Wednesday at a high-level meeting held in the defence ministry that was attended by representatives of the external affairs and home ministries.
Over 3,000 people were killed and thousands rendered homeless in a severe cyclone that hit Bangladesh Nov 15.