New Delhi/ Bengaluru, Mar 3 (PTI) Whether in transit or on a trip to Dubai, fliers who returned to India after being stranded in the conflict-hit region narrated their ordeal, from hearing sounds of explosions to experiencing financial woes, long waits and confusion during their stay there.
Several passengers said they heaved a sigh of relief only when their aircraft touched the Indian soil after a long and arduous journey, and thanked the central and the respective state governments for the arrangements.
Lok Sabha BJP MP from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, Praveen Khandelwal, on Tuesday said his daughter, who was stranded in Dubai for the last three days amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, returned safely to India. He said she had travelled to Dubai on a business trip and was unable to return due to flight cancellations.
Tensions have escalated following a coordinated offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. The US and Israel jointly launched military strikes on the Islamic country on Saturday. Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations across the Gulf, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.
“I didn’t feel any relief, not even during the flight, until I finally landed in Delhi,” said Sunil Gupta, one of the several passengers who returned home shaken.
Gupta, who was returning from Dubai, said the uncertainty was overwhelming.
Arvind, a resident of Noida who also returned from Dubai, said many people were stranded after flights got cancelled.
“People had just gone there for a few days and are not able to handle the expenses. The stranded tourists are facing a serious financial burden. That is the biggest problem right now,” he said.
He said the flight that he had initially booked was cancelled, forcing him to stay back for four extra days.
“During that time, we kept hearing about and seeing incidents around us. I personally saw explosions in the sky, but they (missiles) were being intercepted. Even though the missiles were intercepted, witnessing something like that creates fear,” he said.
For some families, the distress has been far more personal.
Kunwar Shakeel Ahmed, father of an Indian student studying in Iran, said the situation near his daughter’s hostel is frightening.
“Sounds of blasts can be heard. Whatever missiles are being fired are landing very close to where they are staying. She told me that after one blast nearby, parts of the roof and the plaster of the hostel building fell off. You can imagine what the girls must be going through,” Ahmed said.
Another passenger, Suhail Ahmed, returning from Muscat, said delays and uncertainty at airports worsened the situation.
“There were long waits and confusion. Families with children were struggling and many people were running short of money. In such times, authorities should ensure a faster clearance and better arrangements for those trying to return,” he added.
Relief was writ large on the faces of Indian passengers who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru from the UAE, ending a period of high tension fueled by the conflict in West Asia.
Upon arrival on Monday night, the passengers recollected the tense moments of a missile attack in the Gulf nation, before flying towards safety.
Saurabh Shetty, who hails from Mangaluru and works for an oil company in Abu Dhabi, described the situation as “worrisome and scary”.
“When I came to catch my flight on February 28, everything seemed alright. Suddenly, near the check-in area, we got an alarm and were asked to sit down. We were cautioned not to sit near the windows because of a missile threat,” he told PTI videos.
“Someone said, ‘Missile is going to hit.’ We were shocked. We were like we are in the safest city — Abu Dhabi. How can this happen here? Later, when we looked outside, we saw a missile. We never thought such things could happen here…,” Shetty added.
Girimalappa Kerur, originally from Bilgi in Bagalkot district and currently based in Bengaluru, said he was travelling to Paris on a business trip but got stranded.
“We could hear explosions, and we were told around 15 missiles were intercepted in Abu Dhabi. One person reportedly died due to debris. Etihad arranged a safe hotel away from the airport… I cancelled my onward trip to Paris and returned to Bengaluru. I’m relieved to be back,” he said.
Shubha, a passenger from New York, who was supposed to return to Chennai on Sunday, described how the roads wore a deserted look following the conflict and added it was a “scary situation” in Dubai.
“Coming back here is like freedom. I am coming from New York. I had a layover in Dubai on Saturday. In the afternoon around 1 pm that day, they (Airline authorities) said that the Dubai airspace had been closed,” she told reporters at the airport here.
A passenger Syed Ali said, “Upon hearing the news, several children started crying due to the situation at the Dubai airport. However, the hotel authorities helped us a lot and accommodated us.” “Nearly 20,000 people were seen standing in long queues and were sent to various hotels,” Ali, who hails from Nagoor in Tamil Nadu said.
A drone attack near their hotel in Dubai and a sense of insecurity kept 23 tourists from Kolhapur district on tenterhooks, but thanks to Indian and UAE authorities, the group on Tuesday landed safely in Mumbai and returned to their hometown. PTI TEAM KSS KSS
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