Tamilians, Keralites stranded in strife-torn Libya return home

With relief writ large on their faces, 16 Keralites, including children, who were stranded in war-torn Libya, reached here on Thursday morning. It was an emotional homecoming for the people who hugged their loved ones amid tears as they emerged from Nedumbassery airport at 10.30 am on Thursday.

The flight carrying the 16 persons landed here at 8.30 am, after which they completed immigration formalities. The relatives of the rescued Indians had been patiently waiting since the early hours and there were cries of relief as they spotted them.

A nurse from Kerala, Sunu Sathyan, and her oneand-half year-old son Pranav had been killed in a rocket attack in the violence hit Zawiya city of Libya on March 25. Following this, other Indian nurses also working in the hospital had decided to leave the area. Most nurses claimed that though they had got in touch with  the office of External Affairs Minister and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s office, there was no help. A nurse, hailing from Kozhencherry, said she and her three-member family were in Libya for the last five years. “We were unable to withdraw money from banks due to the situation there. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy called us to ask about our plight,” she told reporters. Non-Resident Keralite Affairs CEO RS Kannan said the expenses to purchase tickets would be reimbursed to them. The three families from Tamil Nadu reached Chennai from Dubai, he added.