India will immediately send two teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) with 100 personnel, specially trained dog squads and necessary equipment to earthquake-hit Turkey, for search and relief operations, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“Medical teams are also being readied with trained doctors and paramedics with essential medicines,” according to a statement issued by the MEA on Monday.

Relief material will be dispatched in coordination with the Turkish government and the Indian Embassy in Ankara and Consulate General office in Istanbul, it added.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, in southeastern Turkey, at a depth of nearly 18 kilometers early Monday, per the US Geological Service said.

More than a 1000 people were killed in the quake, according to reports.

PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, held a meeting in South Block on Monday, to discuss immediate relief measures for Turkey.

The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary and representatives of Ministries of Home Affairs, NDMA, NDRF, Defence, MEA, Civil Aviation and Health & Family Welfare.

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