(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN — A Royal Jordanian Air Force plane on Tuesday landed in the Queen Ali Airport carrying 71 Jordanians, who were in San Martin Island, which was hit by hurricane Irma.
The plane was sent on Monday under directives from His Majesty King Abdullah to airlift the Jordanian nationals back home.
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Zeid Lawzi and a number of senior officials were at the airport to receive the airborne survivors, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
In remarks quoted by Petra, Lawzi said that His Majesty ordered sending the plane once he heard about Jordanians stranded on the island.
Bashir Rawashdeh, director of the ministry's operation centre, said that a committee had been formed to follow up on the nationals' situation and means to fly them to safety.
The centre contacted the island's airport, which confirmed its safety for landing and then coordinated with Royal Jordanian Airlines and the Jordan Royal Airforce to carry out the mission, according to Rawashdeh.
He stressed that the number of evacuated Jordanians was 71 out of 96, with the remaining 25 choosing to stay on the island for business purposes.
For their part, families of the evacuated Jordanians expressed appreciation for His Majesty King Abdullah's initiative.
Majid Obeid, whose 14 family members were among the evacuated Jordanians, said that he was anxious about his relatives, expressing delight over hearing the news about sending the plane.
The hurricane has destroyed 95 per cent of the French part of the island, according to Petra.
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