Indian killed in Lebanon, 602 airlifted from Larnaca to India

New Delhi, July 21 (UNI) An Indian national was killed in Lebanon while 602 Indians were airlifted today for home from Larnaca in Cyprus after being evacuated from war-torn Lebanon.

The Indian national, Devesh Kumar Swain, from Orissa, had been missing after Israeli jets bombed a glass factory he was working in, in the eatern Bekaa valley on July 18. Three other Indians who were injured in the bombing, were admitted to hospital. All the four were employees of the glass factory owned by an Indian in Lebanon.

Mr Jitender Bhargava, Executive Director for Air India's Public Relations, said the 602 evacuees were airlifted by two Air India aircraft from Larnaca. While one took the evacuees to Chennai, the other headed for Mumbai and after dropping passengers there, would come to Delhi with passengers from Delhi and neighbouring states.

Most of the passengers, 341 in number, are from Tamil Nadu.

The other plane, carrying 261 evacuees, will arrive in Mumbai and later come to Delhi tonight.

In adition, seven Nepali nationals were also evacuated by India from Lebanon following a request by the Nepalese government.

A total of 38 evacuees are from Mumbai and 88 from Delhi and neighbouring states, Mr Bhargava said.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said there were requests for evacuation by 400 Indian nationals till this morning.

He, however, could not give the exact number of the requests saying the situation was fast evolving and requests were constantly coming in.

The 602 evacuees were brought by the Indian embassy staff in Beirut to Beirut port yesterday from where they were picked up by INS Mumbai and brought to Larnaca.

They were consequently airlifted by two Air India planes from Larnaca this afternoon.

Asked whether India would protest to Israel against the death of the Indian national, Mr Sarna said it was not a diplomatic incident but a bombing incident.

''It is the unfortunate death of an Indian citizen in war.'' MORE UNI RB/SU MSJ ND1932