Srinagar, Jun 20: Like a bolt from the blue, Iran permitted India to use its airspace and fly around 1000 students out of the war-hit country in three chartered flights. After the harrowing wait and gruelling travel for days that seemed like weeks for students from India stuck in Iran, clouds have finally drifted and paved the way for their return. Around 100 Indian students, most of them from Kashmir, were at Mashhad Airport when this news story was filed.
They were set to board three flights to New Delhi.
More flights are in the offing to help Indian nationals leave the country.
Maymoona, whose only son studies in Iran, looked forward to Friday, the day she hoped her son Moomin (name changed) would cross over into Turkmenistan with other students from his college. However, her hopes were dashed when she learnt that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had not succeeded in creating a safe passage through this country.
ìThey were told to send students in small batches of 50 each. That way, it would take weeks to evacuate them,î she cried inconsolably, fearing for the safety of her child.
However, her tears changed into smiles in the evening when Moomin shared an image of his boarding pass for a flight from Mashhad to New Delhi.
More than 600 students were brought from Qom City in Iran to Mashhad on Wednesday.
The students had travelled over 1000 km to reach this transit point from where they were to move into Turkmenistan or to other neighbouring countries.
However, on Thursday, three buses with Indian students were returned from the Turkmenistan border for want of ìsome documentationî.
On Friday, the buses that were scheduled to leave in the morning were delayed due to paperwork again, the students said.
However, the delay proved fortunate as students were informed that they would move by air to their country.
According to multiple reports, Iran has made a special accommodation by removing airspace restrictions for three charter flights for evacuating students, estimated to be around 1000.
ìWe consider Indians as our people,î Iranian Embassyís Deputy Chief of Mission, Mohammad Javad Hosseni was quoted as telling the media.
FLIGHTS TO LAND IN DELHI
Meanwhile, officials said that two evacuation flights would be arriving in India on Friday night and early Saturday morning.
ìThe first flight is expected to land in Delhi around 11:30 pm on Friday, and the second flight will also land in Delhi around 3 am on Saturday,î they said.
The first flight will come from Mashad while the second flight will be coming from Ashgabat.
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