The second evacuation flight carrying 250 Indian residents has landed on the Delhi airport(FILE)
New Delhi:
Air India’s second evacuation flight from Romanian capital Bucharest carrying 250 Indian nationals who had been stranded in Ukraine landed on the Delhi airport within the early hours of Sunday, authorities officers stated.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia welcomed the evacuees on the airport by handing out roses to them.
#WATCH | Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia & MoS MEA V Muraleedharan welcome the Indian nationals safely evacuated from Ukraine by way of Bucharest (Romania) pic.twitter.com/UsFC7f63xf
Advertisement— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2022
India on Saturday started the evacuation of its stranded residents amid the Russian army offensive in Ukraine, with the primary evacuation flight, AI1944, bringing again 219 folks from Bucharest to Mumbai within the night.
The second evacuation flight, AI1942, carrying 250 Indian residents landed on the Delhi airport round 2.45 am on Sunday, the officers stated.
Air India’s third evacuation flight, AI1940, which is able to depart from Hungarian capital Budapest, can be scheduled to return with evacuees to Delhi on Sunday, they stated.
The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil plane operations since February 24 morning when the Russian army offensive started. Therefore, the Indian evacuation flights are working out of Bucharest and Budapest.
Indian nationals who reached the Ukraine-Romania border and Ukraine-Hungary border had been taken to Bucharest and Budapest, respectively, by street with the help of Indian authorities officers in order that they could possibly be evacuated in these Air India flights, the officers stated.
The authorities shouldn’t be charging the rescued residents for the evacuation flights, they stated.
Air India shared on Twitter images of Scindia receiving the evacuees on the airport.
“Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia receiving the Indian nationals who were flown back to Delhi from Bucharest by AI 1942 on February 27 early morning, operated to evacuate Indians stranded at war-ravaged Ukraine,” the airline stated.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had stated on February 24 that round 16,000 Indians, primarily college students, had been stranded in Ukraine.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine stated on Twitter on Saturday that Indian residents in Ukraine shouldn’t transfer to any of the border posts with out prior coordination with the Indian authorities officers there utilizing the helpline numbers.
“The situation at various border checkpoints is sensitive and the Embassy is working continuously with our Embassies in our neighbouring countries for coordinated evacuation of our citizens,” it talked about.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine stated it’s discovering it more and more troublesome to assist the crossing of these Indian nationals who’re reaching border checkpoints with out prior intimation.
It stated that staying in western cities of Ukraine with entry to water, meals, lodging and primary facilities is comparatively safer and advisable in comparison with reaching border checkpoints with out being totally abreast of the scenario.
“All those currently in the eastern sector are requested to continue to remain in their current places of residence until further instructions, maintain calm, and stay indoors or in shelters as much as possible, with whatever food, water and amenities available and remain patient,” it stated.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by eeKPe workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
