Nerve wracking wait for safe return of brother from Yemen

A city based metallurgical engineer has been stranded in strife torn Yemen for the last four days, leaving his family here on tenterhooks, waiting for his safe return.

"My brother Ravi Kumar has been stranded in Sana'a, the capital of strife-torn Yemen for the last four days," Sunil Kumar told PTI here.

He said his brother had left on a business trip on March 12 and was now stranded in a hotel along with 25 Indians. Ravi was supposed to return on March 26, but could not as the strife broke out the same day, he said.

"He made two quick calls. In the first, he spoke of his return, but made another call in the next 10 minutes, talking about cancellation of his return because of the strife," Sunil said.

Ravi also sent a message to PTI on Whatsapp, "We are waiting since yesterday to get transported to India, but there is no official confirmation as of now. We request government of India to act as quickly as possible to rescue all Indians from here."

Sunil said his brother was expected to fly from Sana'a this evening, but the flight did not land and returned to Muscat.

"Ravi told us that a flight which took off from Delhi would land in Sana'a via Muscat to airlift Indians stranded here, but towards evening the plane did not land and returned to Muscat," Sunil said.

An Airbus A320 aircraft had taken off from Delhi at 0745 AM for Sana'a via Muscat and is likely to return from Yemen this evening.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said yesterday that India has got permission from authorities to fly from Sana'a for three hours a day.

There are about 3,500 Indians, most of whom are nurses, in various provinces of Yemen including Sana'a.

In Yemen, Shiite militiamen, also known as Huthis, and army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have overrun much of the country and prompted President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee for Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition of some 10 countries began bombing Yemen on March 26, saying it was targeting Houthis and their allies.