Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the urgent intervention of the Central government to rescue over 60 Keralites and nearly 300 Indian nationals stranded at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. The passengers, many of whom arrived on SriLankan Airlines flights from Saudi Arabia, have been stuck at the airport for the past three days after Cyclone Ditwah severely disrupted flight operations across the island nation, leading to numerous flight cancellations, delays, and diversions.
Distress Over Lack of Basic Amenities
In a letter addressed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, CM Vijayan expressed deep concern that many of the stranded passengers, who were mostly on brief transit stops in Colombo, were facing an alarming situation due to the lack of sufficient food, drinking water, and basic facilities. The Government of Kerala assured the Centre that it stands ready to provide all necessary support. Separately, a group of stranded Keralites released a video appealing to both the state and central governments for immediate assistance, highlighting their distress and the uncertainty they faced.
Indian High Commission Steps Up Assistance
The Indian High Commission quickly responded to the crisis. Acting Indian High Commissioner Dr. Satyanjal Pandey visited the stranded passengers at the Colombo airport on Saturday, providing them with food and water and assuring them that the Government of India was actively working to facilitate their early return. The High Commission shared a registration link and an emergency helpline on social media, announcing that evacuation flights by the IAF and commercial airlines were being facilitated on Sunday, with the goal of ensuring “Every stranded Indian will reach home at the earliest.”
