BENGALURU: Over 200 Hakki Pikki tribals, who were stranded in war-torn Sudan, have reportedly boarded buses on their way to Port Sudan and later they will reach Bengaluru. They will be part of the second batch of evacuees who will be arriving in India under Operation Kaveri, initiated by the Indian government to bring back its over 2,000 citizens.
Packed into four buses, the tribals left El Fashir for Port Sudan. They belong to tribal hamlets in Mysuru, Shivamogga, Davanagere, HD Kote, Channagiri and surrounding areas. “We are relieved and happy, but still nervous. Till we move out of here completely, we will not be able to rest. We have not been able to sleep because of anxiety and fear. Sounds of the gunfire and bomb explosions still haunts us,” said one of the tribals.
After being informed about their departure from the war-torn African country, their relatives are eager to know their arrival dates. “We boarded the buses on Tuesday afternoon. It would take around 7-8 hours by road to reach Port Sudan. We have been told that from there, we will go to Saudi Arabia by sea. After the verification of our papers, we will be allowed to board a direct flight to Bengaluru,” said Shandi, who had gone to Sudan with his wife around nine months ago.
Another tribal said, “I don’t know how long I will take to reach my hometown and then my hamlet. But anything out of here is welcome. I will not return for sure. I had not eaten properly for nearly a week.”
The office of the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday tweeted that the first batch of 278 stranded Indians left Port Sudan onboard INS Sumedha and will reach Jeddah. MEA officials said they are supplying all essential materials and supplies to all the stranded who were rescued.
Meanwhile, officials at the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre said they have been told that among the first batch of evacuees, there is one from Karnataka.
43 People from Davanagere villages rescued
Davanagere DC Shivananda Kaapshi on Tuesday said that 30 people from Gopanal and 13 from Astapanhalli, both villages in the district, have been rescued from war-torn Sudan. He said the stranded Indian citizens have been rescued by Indian Embassy officials in Sudan and are being moved towards Port Sudan.
“Once they reach the port, they will be shifted to India safely, and rescue operations to bring them back home are in full swing,” he added. The DC added that all the people are safely being transported to rescue sites. The embassy is in touch with all those stranded in the African country. People from Gopanal and Astapanhalli are traditional Ayurveda practitioners, who travel to Africa to sell medicines and stay at one place for years on end.