Second batch of Indian evacuees from Lebanon arrives

Chennai, Jul 22: The second batch of 131 Indian evacuees from the war-torn Lebanon arrived here from Cyprus via Mumbai early this morning.

The evacuees were received by Senior Government officials at the old airport.

The first batch of 345 evacuees arrived here late last night in a direct flight from Larcana to Chennai and they were received by Minister of State for External Affairs Vayalar Ravi.

With this 476 evacuees, hailing from Tamil Nadu, had arrived so far from the strife-torn Lebanon.

The state government provided an assistance of Rs 500 each to all the evacuees on their arrival. They were also given food packets and water bottles.

All of them left for their respective destinations by the State Express Transport Corporation buses stationed at the airport.

The evaucees mostly hailed from districts like Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Nagercoil, Thanjavur, Trichy and Nagapattinam.

All the Indians, who arrived here were hale and hearty, officials said.

Most of evacuees had taken up jobs as construction workers and contract labourers and went to Lebanon by borrowing loans. When they drew the attention of the State Ministers to this effect at the airport, the Minister said the government would consider their request favourably. The Ministers also asked the evacuees to submit a detailed petition on the nature of loans and the oustanding amount to their respective district collectors, who would forward it to the government for necessary action.

It may be recalled that in one of the largest single evacuation exercises during the nine-day old West Asian crisis, India had pulled out 607 of its nationals from Lebanon to Larnaca in Cyprus, from where they were airlifted home.

A total of 607 passengers reached India by two special Air India aircraft from Lebanon. Of them 476 were from Tamil Nadu.

While one of the two aircraft, carrying 345 evacuees belonging to Tamil Nadu, landed in Chennai, the other landed at Mumbai with the remaining passengers late last night.

Since all the passengers from Tamil Nadu could not be flown in the Chennai-bound flight, about 131 of them were flown to Mumbai in the other aircraft, from where they were brought to Chennai this morning.

Receiving the evacuees, Mr Vayalar Ravi told newspersons at the airport that the process of airlifting Indians would continue for the next five to six days.

The Indians would be ferried in a ship from Lebanon to Cyprus from where they would be flown to India.

UNI