The deployment was in response to the request for humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the strong earthquake that rocked Myanmar on Friday.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar in the early afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.
The quake destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across swathes of Myanmar, with massive destruction seen in Mandalay, the country’s second biggest city and home to more than 1.7 million people.
At least 1,002 people were killed and nearly 2,400 injured in Myanmar, the ruling junta said in a statement on Saturday. Around 10 more deaths have been confirmed in Bangkok.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid on Friday, indicating the severity of the calamity.
