193 Indians from Yemen land in Kochi

Kochi, April 5 (IANS) A total of 193 Indian nationals evacuated from Yemen – who were among the 332 taken to Djibouti and airlifted from there – landed at the airport here in Kerala on Saturday night, an official said.

An Air India flight carrying these passengers landed here after 10.40 p.m.

Kerala’s Minister for Diaspora K.C. Joseph and other officials were at the airport to receive the people.

R.S. Kannan, CEO of Roots-Norka, a state-owned body that looks after the welfare of the Kerala diaspora, told IANS that 148 passengers were from Kerala, 32 from Tamil Nadu, 12 from Karnataka and one was from Pondicherry.

"All of them, as has been the practice on the previous two occasions, were given Rs.2,000 each. We have arranged buses for them to be dropped at their homes in various parts of the state. For the passengers from other states also, we have made special travel arrangements," said Kannan.

The people who arrived from Yemen said things were getting tougher in the strife-torn country, Kannan said.

"Tomorrow (Sunday) also, we are expecting another batch as there are Indians who have been evacuated from Yemen waiting in Djibouti," he added.