Air India pilot Shivani Kalra, who flew the sixth evacuation flight from Ukraine, which took off from Budapest and landed in Delhi on Monday, told the Indian Express that she was “proud to be a part of this a process”.

“It doesn’t normally happen, but when I left the house last night, my mum came over and hugged me. She was a little emotional. I was involved in evacuation and rescue flights during Covid, but I think the news of the war terrified them. My brother and dad were worried and called me as soon as I landed,” she said.

Kalra has now been with Air India for over three years. “When we got to Budapest and met the students, they were scared. I talked to them and tried to comfort them. We assured them they would go home safely. They were looking forward to returning. My family was a little scared but everything It went well. When we landed, everyone was clapping. I walked out the gate and saw my family cheering. This is the first time that has happened. I’m so grateful I got this opportunity,” she said.

The group of students left Uzhhorod in Ukraine for the Hungarian border, arriving in Budapest on Monday morning. More than 240 Indian students were evacuated by Air India and arrived in Delhi at 6pm.

The students were greeted by parents and families who had waited for hours at the airport.

Osama, a first-year MBBS student at Uzhhorod State University, rushed to hug his father, Md Hassan. His cousins ​​gave him a bouquet of flowers and hugged him as he cried.

“The last few days have been very difficult. I never imagined I would be in a war-torn country. We thought there would be some compromise and didn’t expect a war. My family and I booked two tickets – one on February 27 and the other dated March 2. Both flights were cancelled. My father told me the airport was damaged. We were all scared but the University helped us. They sent us in a bus to cross the border. We managed to get to Budapest and the Embassy officials rescued us. I am happy to be home,” said Osama.

Azaz Ahmed, a fourth-year student from the same university in Mewat, said: “My cousin Mushtaq and I were stranded there. Fortunately, the university was so close to the border that we were able to cross in time. My other cousin, Praveena, was in Studying in Lviv and still stuck there. The last time I spoke to her was on Sunday. She was trying to reach the Polish border. We are all praying for their safe return. For the past few days, there has been a constant siren and a total blockade. I I want to go home now.”

Students travel from their university to Budapest via more than 300 kilometers of roads and on foot.

Complete news Source : The Indian Express