Indian Air Force brings 4 cryogenic oxygen containers from Singapore

New Delhi, April 24 (PTI): The Indian Air Force on Saturday picked up from Singapore four cryogenic containers for storage of liquid oxygen, officials said.

The containers were airlifted from Singapore by C17 heavy-lift aircraft of the IAF.

The aircraft with four cryogenic oxygen containers landed at Panagarh airbase in West Bengal at around 4:30 pm, the officials said.

India is struggling with the second wave of the coronavirus infection and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds in view of a rising number of Covid-19 cases.

Since Friday, the IAF has been airlifting empty oxygen tankers and containers to various filling stations across the country to speed up the distribution of the much-needed medical oxygen in treating Covid-19 patients.

The IAF was also transporting essential medicines as well as equipment required by the designated Covid-19 hospitals in various parts of the country.

"The Indian Air Force is taking sorties to reduce the transportation time of Oxygen and other critical supplies. One C-17 has reached Changi airport in Singapore today. These containers of cryogenic oxygen tanks will help boosting the oxygen supply in the country," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's office tweeted earlier.