All efforts on to evacuate people stranded in Kharkiv and Kyiv, says Bommai

Bommai said he was in contact with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said all efforts are on to evacuate people from the state, who are stranded in besieged cities like Kharkiv and Kyiv in Ukraine, and that his administration is in constant touch with Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Embassy there.

The CM said he is trying to gather information regarding bringing back the remains of Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 21-year-old medical student from Haveri district in the state, who was killed in a Russian shelling in Kharkiv city last week. "Many people have been evacuated (from Ukraine), some are unable to move and are stranded at places like Kharkiv and Kyiv. Embassy officials are tracking and tracing them and are coordinating, according to officials they will evacuate people from such places as soon as bombings reduce," Bommai said.

He said he was in contact with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine.

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"We are in touch and coordinating with central Ministers who have been deputed to countries bordering Ukraine, to oversee the evacuation," he added. Bommai said he will visit Naveen's residence at Ranebennur today to console the family members. The government has decided to give a solatium for the family.

Responding to a question on bringing back Naveen's body, he said, "I'm gathering information, shelling is still on there, so I'm trying to gather the right information." Meanwhile, Nodal Officer and Commissioner Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) Manoj Rajan said, a total of 366 people from the state have returned so far from the war-torn Ukraine, under "Operation Ganga".

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