New Delhi.- India sent 20 tons of humanitarian aid to Colombia this Friday to assist in recovery efforts following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the west of the South American country on Monday, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
“The first batch of the 20 metric tons of relief supplies was sent to Colombia to support recovery efforts following the earthquake,” announced Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on X.
Read more: About 200 families sleep in tents in Cali fearing to return to their homes after earthquake
“The assistance includes medicines and medical equipment, temporary shelter and hygiene items, as well as other essential products needed after the disaster,” he added.
The aid is expected to take about 40 hours to reach the South American country, where at least 265 deaths and nearly 3,500 injuries have already been recorded, according to Colombian authorities.
“Colombia is very grateful to the Government of India for this decision (…) It is very unusual for countries at such a distance to have this gesture of friendship with these families who are suffering so much at this time,” the Colombian ambassador to India, Víctor Echeverri, told EFE.
India thus joins other countries that have announced the sending of aid such as Spain, Israel, Sweden, Turkey, the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Japan, and Brazil, according to the Colombian Government.
In June, India also sent a humanitarian mission to Venezuela following the two 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that devastated the country’s coast.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia occurred on Monday at 07:34 local time (12:34 GMT) and had its epicenter in the vicinity of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó.
