Thiruvananthapuram : Even as thousands are trapped inside bunkers in Kharkiv and surrounding cities of Ukraine, a large group of Indian students, including Keralites, proceeded to Kyiv Based on a communication from the Indian Embassy in Kyiv, the railway station complained that they were not being allowed to board trains running from Kyiv to the western parts of the country as part of the evacuation.
As soon as TOI spoke to them over the phone, they were literally on the verge of breaking down, saying that something has to be done immediately to at least go back to their hostels and bunkers, if not board the trains. “We are here from 11 am to 3 pm without food or water, and we are still waiting for trains.
We were literally barred from boarding the trains, though we have been told by the embassy that we should proceed to the railway stations,” said Mary Fiona, a third year medical student in Kyiv and a native of Thiruvananthapuram.
She said there were several hundred students who were 4 km away from their hostel to the railway stations. “We took everything and amidst the fear created by the noise of the bombing, we dared to walk this far. One group was lucky enough to get the bus. Apart from communication to get to the railway station, there are no other clear instructions and no one to tell us what to do and how to return. We have already heard two sirens alerting them to go back to the security bunkers,” said Punya, another student from Thalassery.
TOI immediately took up the matter with the Chief Minister’s Office in New Delhi and V Muraleedharan’s Office of the Ministry of External Affairs, following which both the offices have promised to look into the matter immediately.
As soon as TOI spoke to them over the phone, they were literally on the verge of breaking down, saying that something has to be done immediately to at least go back to their hostels and bunkers, if not board the trains. “We are here from 11 am to 3 pm without food or water, and we are still waiting for trains.
We were literally barred from boarding the trains, though we have been told by the embassy that we should proceed to the railway stations,” said Mary Fiona, a third year medical student in Kyiv and a native of Thiruvananthapuram.
She said there were several hundred students who were 4 km away from their hostel to the railway stations. “We took everything and amidst the fear created by the noise of the bombing, we dared to walk this far. One group was lucky enough to get the bus. Apart from communication to get to the railway station, there are no other clear instructions and no one to tell us what to do and how to return. We have already heard two sirens alerting them to go back to the security bunkers,” said Punya, another student from Thalassery.
TOI immediately took up the matter with the Chief Minister’s Office in New Delhi and V Muraleedharan’s Office of the Ministry of External Affairs, following which both the offices have promised to look into the matter immediately.