1496 people evacuated so far by India, 300 to be taken tomorrow

New Delhi, July 25 (UNI) India has evacuated 1496 people, including 1383 of its nationals, from war-torn Lebanon during the past week while another 300 Indians will be taken out tomorrow, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said here today.

This leaves behind about 10,000 Indian nationals in Lebanon where Israeli attacks have been raging for the past more than a week.

The 1496 people who have been evacuated so far also include 47 Nepali, 58 Sri Lankan and eight Lebanese nationals besides the 1383 Indians.

More than 300 people would be evacuated tomorrow and their papers have already been processed, the spokesman said adding further evacuation would be carried out, as necessary, according to the situation on the ground.

The spokesman said a ''sea-air coridoor'' had been ''effectively set up'' by the Indian Navy and the Civil Aviation Ministry to mount ''well-coordinated efforts'' for safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Lebanon and ensure their safety and welfare. This had been done as the airports in Lebanon are out of order.

''(Evacuation) efforts are being monitored at the highest level in the government and regular meeting are being held by the Cabinet Secretary to review the situation,'' the spokesman said addressing a joint press conference alongwith Rear Admiral Pradeep Chauhan and Mr Bharat Chaturvedi of Air India.

Mr Chaturvedi said the AI would place two aircraft on standby on July 27 to evacuate more people.

The Indian naval ships take the evacuees from Beirut to Larnaca from where they are airlifted to India.

A total of 609 people including 599 Indian nationals, six Nepalese, three Lebanese and one Sri Lankan were evacuated in the first phase while 881 people including 784 Indians, 41 Nepalese, 51 Sri Lankans and five Lebanese were evacuated in the second phase.

The spokesman said of the three people who were injured in an Israeli air attack on a glass factory in the Eastern Bekaa valley in Southern Lebanon, one was in coma and was being treated in a hospital in Cyprus.

Another person had already been brought back and sent to his home town Bangalore while the third was still in hospital.

The government is in touch with the 10,000 Indian nationals who are still in Lebanon through various agencies and organisations, the spokesman added.

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