Hyderabad: A group of Telugu tourists, who were left stranded in Bahrain due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, are likely to be moved to Dammam in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to travel back to India.
In a video statement uploaded on social media on Tuesday, March 3, the tourists had called on the governments of India, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to rescue and bring them home.
The group of 20 tourists was later picked from Manama City in Bahrain by Gulf Air representatives, Gonesh Solomon Raj, one of the members stranded from Hyderabad, told The Hindu.
They had travelled to Bahrain on February 24 and their return was scheduled four days later on February 28. They had even received the immigration stamp on their passports. However, their plans were abruptly hampered when Israel and US military strikes hit Iran, resulting in escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
The stranded tourists said that there were elderly people in the group suffering from chronic illnesses, and some who had run out of medicines but couldn’t buy more because of the strict laws in the region that required prescriptions.
Bahrain’s Telugu Association intervenes
Following the Bahrain Telugu Association’s timely intervention, the stranded tourists were being swiftly moved to Dammam, the third-largest city in Saudi Arabia, to be repatriated to India.
The association reportedly contacted the Saudi Arabian diplomatic mission, the Indian Embassy and Gulf Air.
Raj said the association’s efforts ensured the 20 Telugu Indians were put on the connecting Mumbai and Delhi-bound flights. The association had reached out to Union Aviation Minister K Ramamohan Naidu, requesting extra flights to evacuate the stranded passengers.
The group will be taken to Dammam in batches, Raj said, adding that they would be connected to India flights in the coming days.
