Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Soe Win attended a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon to present certificates of appreciation and gifts to search and rescue teams from ASEAN countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam — for their collaborative efforts in searching for and rescuing individuals trapped in collapsed buildings in the powerful earthquake on 28 March.

Expressing his gratitude for the immediate arrival and collaborative efforts of search and rescue teams in the earthquake-affected areas of Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, and Sagaing, the Union minister revealed that their tireless work resulted in the rescue of eight people alive and the recovery of 172 bodies. Emphasizing that cooperation is a key to effectively responding to natural disasters, the Union minister stated that such collaboration has enabled the effective execution of search and rescue efforts and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the search and rescue teams and the people of friendly countries who have shown concern and compassion for the victims. Following this, certificates of appreciation and gifts were presented to the participating search and rescue teams.

Also present at the ceremony were Chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council U Than Tun Oo, the Deputy Minister and Directors-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaders and members of the search and rescue teams from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, and officials from the AHA Centre.

MNA/TH

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