22 May 2008

SCDF’s Lion Heart Contingent to China ended its search and rescue operations in Hongbai Town on 21 May 2008. Deployed on 16 May 2008, the 55-member strong rescue contingent was based in Hongbai Township in Shifang city as part of Singapore’s humanitarian assistance to China. The Singapore rescue team was one of the four foreign rescue teams that assisted in China’s relief efforts. The other foreign teams are from Japan, Russia, and Republic of Korea.

In their 5-day search and rescue operation, the team carried out search operations at over a dozen sites of collapsed buildings. Five bodies were extricated from the collapsed structures and rubble. As operations in Hongbai town begin to move into the “recovery stage”, SCDF’s search and rescue services are no longer required.

Prior to their return, a simple appreciation ceremony was hosted by the Vice Governor of Sichuan, Huang Yanrong, to thank our rescuers for their efforts. A banner was presented to the Contingent Commander, LTC Francis Ng.

The SCDF’s 55-member rescue team will be returning to Singapore in 2 waves. The first batch of 39 rescuers left Chengdu, China, for Singapore at about 1300 hrs today and arrived at Paya Lebar Airbase in two Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) C-130 military aircraft at 2300 hrs. They were received by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, and Mdm Zhang Xiao Kang, PRC Ambassador to Singapore. The remaining 16 rescuers will leave Chengdu on Friday, and arrive in Singapore at about 2130hrs on a commercial flight.

This is the SCDF Operation Lion Heart’s 10th mission.