Agencies: A special Air India flight carrying 46 Indian nurses set free by Sunni militants in strife-torn Iraq and 137 others landed in Kochi on Saturday noon. Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy was at the airport to receive them. The ordeal of the nurses, who were working at a hospital in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, began when a swift Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) offensive was launched on June 9. The nurses were moved out on Thursday against their will and detained in the militant-held city of Mosul, 250 km from Tikrit.
A joint-secretary level IFS officer and a female IAS officer from Kerala are among the Indian officials travelling on the chartered flight. Air India spokesperson in Kochi said there are 183 passengers, including 23 crew members and three government officials, onboard the flight.
The flight landed in Mumbai, where it made a ‘technical halt’ in Mumbai for refuelling and catering supplies, at 8:43am. It left for Kochi at 9:55am. The flight is scheduled leave for Hyderabad at 12:55pm and arrive at 2:25pm. Its last destination would be Delhi where it would arrive at 5:40pm, the officials said.
Speaking to reporters in Kochi, Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy said that evacuation of nurses from Iraq was a result of “collective efforts” and thanked Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Indian embassy in Iraq and the ministry of external affairs. “We were in a very difficult situation in the last few days. Nurses in Tikrit were directly contacting me and their family members were contacting me.
“I requested external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and also called the Indian Embassy. I am very thankful to Swaraj and Indian ambassadors, MEA and the embassy, they all helped us,” he said. “In the last two days, I met Swaraj four times and we discussed everything and I’m happy about the attitude of the minister, she took personal interest,” said Chandy.
Families of the nurses have already arrived at Nedumbassery airport to receive them. Father of 23-year-old Neenu Jose from Rajakaad in Idukki said, “I am grateful to God, chief minister Oommen Chandy and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj”.
Neenu’s mother said, “Today is my daughter’s birthday and the reunion is the best gift”. Sudeep, CEO of NORKA Roots, which acts as a counsel for the non-resident Keralites, said all the 46 nurses, except one, belonged to Kerala. The other is from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. All efforts will be made to take them to their respective residences as soon as they arrive in Kochi, he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment