More relief and rescue workers from Singapore arrive in Medan

ANOTHER wave of rescue and relief workers was sent from Singapore yesterday to help earthquake victims.

Three SAF transport planes carrying 54 men and women and medical supplies took off from Paya Lebar airbase at 11.20am and landed in Medan at 1.30pm.

That brings the total number of people deployed so far from the Singapore Armed Forces and Singapore Civil Defence Force to 117.

The SCDF's disaster assistance contingent, codenamed 'Operation Lion Heart', is led by Major Anwar Abdullah. It includes 23 elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Dart) officers.

Armed with rescue equipment such as hydraulic cutters, spreaders and air bags, they will assist with search and rescue as well as other humanitarian efforts.

The advance SCDF team of 14 officers and 15 SAF medics deployed on Tuesday arrived on Nias island yesterday afternoon.

While SAF will help set up medical care facilities, SCDF will help with search and rescue and other relief efforts.

Meanwhile, the Asian Medical Foundation, in collaboration with Singapore Red Cross and Munich Reinsurance Singapore, has sent a team of three doctors and two nurses from the Raffles Medical Group.

The small group is led by 71-year-old Dr Dohadwala Kutbuddin.

Speaking to The Straits Times from Medan, the grandfather said: 'Whether another quake hits in three days or three months, I have no worry or fear. These are just predictions and rumours, but we must be prepared to cope with any eventuality.'

However, fear of another quake made it difficult for Kim Heng Marine and Oilfield to get crew and workers to go to the disaster zone.

The company was commissioned by the Singapore Red Cross to transport more than 1,000 tonnes of Red Cross and Mercy Relief water and food packs, supplies and vehicles to Nias island.

Kim Heng Marine said the trip, partially sponsored by the company, will leave on Monday with two Singaporeans and a mainly Indonesian team.

Singaporean marine supervisor Ramle Ahmad, 43, who delivered aid after the December tsunami, jumped at the chance to help again.

The father of four children, aged between eight and 18, did not even consult his family before agreeing to go. He said: 'I feel proud and happy to go even though I'm a little scared. But if everybody is afraid, then who will help these people?' Mr Ramle said he was motivated by his experience in Meulaboh after the tsunami.

'When I saw the children there crying for their mothers and fathers and women crying for their husbands, I thought about my own family,' he said.

'Then when I tried to help the crying children by giving them food, they refused the food and just kept crying out their parents' names. I could do nothing and was so sad for them that I cried too.'By Tracy Suafrom The Straits Times Interactive, March 31, 2005