(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A special Air India flight carrying 176 Indians caught in the civil war in Iraq including the nurses arrived at the Cochin International Airport around 12 noon
An Indian nurse kisses her nephew upon arrival at the airport in Kochi on July 5 2014. - AP
The 46 Indian nurses rescued from strife-torn Iraq on Saturday returned to an emotional welcome from families friends politicians and hundreds of people who had crowded the airport since morning.
The nurses most of them haggard and in tears touched the feet of State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who had come with four of his cabinet colleagues and several legislators to receive them. The sight of family members waiting anxiously inside the arrival hall opened a floodgate of emotions. They hugged and kissed as hundreds of people gathered outside and greeted the evacuees with a loud applause.
Kerala CM lauds KT campaign
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy did not forget to thank Khaleej Times for its bold campaign to bring to the outside world the hardships of the Indian nurses trapped in the war-torn Iraqi city of Tikrit.
Chandy rang up Khaleej Times Night Editor Suresh Pattali to extend special thanks for his help and extensive reportage on the nurses’ life in the war zone and the need to urgently bring them home. “All our hard work including Khaleej Times coverage finally resulted in bringing them home safely” he said.
He appreciated and thanked when Khaleej Times explained how difficult it had been to get all the goings-on from the besieged hospital and verify them for objective reporting.
Sureshkhaleejtimes.com
A special Air India flight carrying 176 Indians caught in the civil war in Iraq including the nurses arrived at the Cochin International Airport around 12 noon. The flight left for Hyderabad after deplaning the 45 nurses from Kerala and one from Tutirorin in Tamil Nadu at Cochin. After deplaning 70 people from Andhra Pradesh at the Hyderbad airport the special flight left for New Delhi.
The aircraft sent from New Delhi on Friday evening to pick up the Indians was initially not allowed to land in Arbil. However according to the Kerala chief minister he spoke to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and the matter was soon resolved. The flight landed at the Mumbai airport on Saturday morning and thereafter flew to Cochin.
The nurses said they never expected to return home from the war front. “I thought I will never be able to see my kins. It’s re-birth” said Neenu Jose who incidentally is celebrating her 24th birthday on Saturday.
She told Khaleej Times that she had only God to thank for her safe reunion with her family. “We have been saying the rosary everyday. Even our Hindu friends joined in the prayers. God has saved us” she added.
Newskhaleejtimes.com
WE BROKE THE STORY FIRST... a combo of exclusive Khaleej Times reportage of the nurses crisis.
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