Indian Navy rescues people in cyclone-hit Bangladesh

After Sri Lanka, the Indian Navy has rushed two ships for relief and rescue operations in cyclone-hit Bangladesh, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said on Wednesday.

INS Sumitra is already deployed and has rescued 27 Bangladeshis who were washed off the shore by the cyclone. Another ship with relief material was on its way.

"In the south of Sri Lanka, we have two ships. Today (Wednesday) morning we received a request from Bangladesh," Admiral Lanba said at the sidelines of a seminar here.

"We had one ship deployed off the coast of Bangladesh. She is already involved in the rescue of people... The second ship has sailed from Visakhapatnam with relief material," he added.

Admiral Lanba said the Indian Navy was ready to handle all kinds of disaster response in the Indian Ocean Region.

"As severe weather phenomena are only to increase, each ship has an intrinsic capability of HADR (high availability disaster recovery). We are prepared for it.

"It will cover the wider Indian Ocean but there is a timeline within which you have to reach," he said.

The search and rescue operation in Bangladesh is taking place south of Chittagong. Cyclone Mora had earlier caused havoc in Sri Lanka, killing at least 180.

"One of the rescued men had no pulse or heart beat but was revived and is currently on ventilator on board the ship," a Navy official said.