The pressure on Turkish and international aid agencies is great because of the many deaths and injuries.
Defense deploys a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft with medical facilities to help earthquake victims in Turkey. Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren has reported this to the House. The C-130 is deployed following a request from the Turkish government.
After the departure of the 'flying ambulance' of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, it can be deployed the following day. The cargo hold of the C-130 will be converted and can then transport a maximum of approximately 70 people per flight. On board they receive care from medical specialists of the Center for Man and Aviation (CML). The Turkish government wants to use this so-called tactical aeromedical evacuation capacity to move injured people from the disaster area to other places in Turkey. There they will receive much-needed medical care.
many victims
The pressure on Turkish and international aid agencies is great because of the many deaths and injuries caused by major earthquakes last Monday. More than 16.000 people have been killed and many more injured. The CML provides two regular Aeromedical Evacuation Teams. Each consists of 1 doctor and 3 nurses. Plus medical equipment to care for the injured. A medical officer also goes along to coordinate and direct the flights.
relief flights
The Lockheed C-130H Hercules is a medium-weight transport aircraft. It is mainly intended for the transport of military personnel and equipment. Humanitarian aid flights are also made with it. Thanks to a tailgate, the aircraft is not dependent on special loading facilities at airports. The Hercules can land and take off from very primitive airfields with short runways.
international
The C-130 flies under the EATC flag. The European Air Transport Command is an international command center that coordinates and carries out the operational control of military air transport for 7 countries, including the Netherlands. The EATC is located at Eindhoven Air Base. The C-130 belongs to the Air Mobility Command, one of the four commands of the Air Force.
source: News release National government
