The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday picked up four cryogenic containers from Singapore 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.
"Four cryogenic oxygen containers have arrived in India at Panagarh airbase in West Bengal from Singapore. The containers were airlifted in an IAF C-17 aircraft from Changi Airport in Singapore earlier this morning," the Indian Air Force tweeted on Saturday.
India is struggling with the second wave of 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.
On Friday, the Union Home Ministry said it was in talks for the import of high-capacity oxygen-carrying tankers from Singapore and the UAE. The move came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the coronavirus situation in the country.
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