Mangalore: 14 from Coast Return from Libya, Families Heave Sigh of Relief
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Mar 8: 14 Kannadigas, who were working for Sirte Oil Company in Marsa El Brega, Libya, returned home safely on Monday March 7. They have been identified as Navachandra Rao, Prakash Shetty, Hamza, Shekhar, Victor Rego, Anand Moolya, Sadhu Moily, Vijayakumar, Mohan Adoor, Padmanabh Boloor, R K Bhat and Ashok from the city, apart from B C Manjunath from Chikmagalur and Narayan Shetty from Kaup. They were received by the family members, who were ecstatic at the safe return of their close ones.
These persons had started from Brega on March 2, and reached Cairo by bus. After staying in a hotel for two days there, they had boarded Gulf Air flight to Bahrain, and reached Mumbai from there, on Monday morning. From Mumbai, an Indian Airlines flight brought them to Mangalore. The union government bore all the expenses of their travel, and the embassy had looked after them well, they said on their arrival.
They explained the horrific experience they underwent since some days at Libya, and the uncertainty caused by increased disturbances. They said the streets in the town looked like a battle field with firing sound reverberating now and then. Bombing was also experienced in some places. They felt that about 60 percent Indians have returned, while those from Bangladesh and China continue to stay in Libya. The company has assured them to call back once the situation returns to normalcy, they revealed.
The evacuees said that they were particularly grateful to three women, Malak Malai, an official in the Indian embassy in Libya, Libyan social worker of Indian origin, Tabassum, and Bimla Rani, official in the Indian embassy in Cairo, but for whom they would have suffered a lot.