NEW DELHI: In a dramatic overnight development, hundreds of civilians from Jammu and Kashmir – mostly stranded tourists and students – arrived at the New Delhi Railway Station on Friday night, fleeing intense missile strikes and drone attacks amid rising hostilities between India Pakistan.
In a major evacuation effort, hundreds of students and tourists from J&K arrived safely in New Delhi late on Friday, following an announcement by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of four special trains from Jammu.
The Jammu Tawi Special reached New Delhi Railway Station around 11:55 pm, carrying civilians escaping the escalating border tensions and cross-border attacks.
The railway station was abuzz with activity as stranded students, many studying in universities across J&K and Punjab, made their way back to safety. Most had been stranded amid the military escalations between the two neighbouring countries, and were forced to travel to Jammu before being evacuated via special trains.
For the students who arrived onboard the special train on Friday night, the Students Federation of India (SFI) made arrangements for the makeshift accommodations in office spaces and apartments in Delhi, with more than 200 students temporarily housed in coordination with the members of the student organisation.
Speaking to this newspaper, SFI Delhi president Sooraj Elamon said, “All the 200 students were accommodated. We have arranged food for them as well. The major concern was to arrange their travel back home. We got in touch with railway officials and Rajya Sabha MPs to get them reservations at the earliest. We worked round-the -clock to finalise their tickets, food, and ensure they reached home safely.”
“We had got over 300 distress calls from students who wanted to reach home at the earliest. Meanwhile, the evacuation continues, with efforts underway to locate and assist others still stuck in the conflict zone. However the situation is better now and the students will hopefully face no problem in returning once the trains and flights resume,” he added
SFI national president VP Sahu said, “SFI’s helpline has aided hundreds of stranded students in border regions. We’ve arranged accommodations for them in Delhi.”
Student outfit arranges accommodation
For the students who arrived onboard the special train on Friday night, the Students Federation of India made arrangements for the makeshift accommodations in office spaces and apartments in Delhi, with more than 200 students temporarily housed in coordination with the outfit.