Distraught Indians arrive from Libya
About 540 Indians living in Libya have been brought back by two Air India flights from Tripoli as sorties began to evacuate about 18,000 Indians living in the strife-torn north African nation.
While the second Air India flight landed here in the wee hours of Sunday, another flight arrived last night (Saturday).
Many of the evacuated Indians have harrowing story to tell about the situation in Libya.
They said many were looted at gunpoint. There was rioting, looting and killings in Libya, said Indians returning from the north African nation roiled by an uprising and a crackdown by the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
Indian pressed into service the specially chartered Air India Boeing 747 with the capacity of 360 passengers, and an Airbus 330 with a capacity of 280.
Additional Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) personnel are in position at the Embassy of India, Tripoli to enhance the manpower strength of the Mission.
India also sent ships to evacuate its nationals. There were an estimated 18,000 Indians in Libya working in various sectors.
INS Jalashwa, accompanied by the INS Mysore, set sail from Mumbai Saturday morning. The sailing time is about twelve days to Libya.
Another passenger ship with a capacity of 1600, presently in the Mediterranean, has been chartered and will be pressed into service for assisting the departure of Indian nationals out of Libya, the MEA said.
Scotia Prince was scheduled to depart for Benghazi (Libya) from Port Said (Egypt) Saturday at 2000 hrs. and is likely to arrive at its destination by the afternoon of Monday. The ship has a capacity of 1200 passengers.
Indian evacuation began on Saturday after the Muammar Gaddafi regime allowed to fly in airplanes to make sorties with evacuees.
The Ministry of External Affairs said no payment or charge of any kind is being levied by the government, for the evacuation/assisted departure of any Indian nationals in Libya.
India was permitted to fly two planes a day in Tripoli for its evacuation until March 7.