Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought urgent intervention from the Central government to rescue more than 60 Keralites stranded at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo after Cyclone Ditwah severely disrupted flight operations across the island nation.
In all, nearly 300 Indian nationals — many of them passengers arriving on SriLankan Airlines flights from Saudi Arabia — have been stuck at the airport for the past three days.
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the Chief Minister said the situation has become alarming as many stranded passengers were without sufficient food, drinking water or basic facilities. He emphasised that several travellers were only on brief transit stops in Colombo, but the sudden flight cancellations had left them in distress.
“We are deeply concerned about the condition of the people who are stranded. The Government of Kerala stands ready to provide all necessary support and awaits your kind urgent response and action,” CM Vijayan wrote, urging the Centre to act swiftly.
A group of stranded Keralites also released a video message appealing to both the state and central governments for immediate assistance, describing the lack of amenities and the uncertainty they faced.
Acting Indian High Commissioner Dr Satyanjal Pandey met the stranded passengers at the Colombo airport on Saturday. He provided them with food and water and assured them that the Government of India was working to facilitate their early return.
“The Acting HC assured them of all possible assistance. He conveyed that the Govt of India will facilitate their swift travel back to India,” the Indian High Commission posted on X, along with photos from the airport.
The High Commission also shared a registration link for stranded Indians and urged those in distress to contact its emergency helpline at +94 773727832, which is also available on WhatsApp. The Commission said that it is “facilitating the swift return home of the Indian passengers stranded in Sri Lanka” and that “evacuation flights by IAF and commercial airlines are being facilitated today”.
“Every stranded Indian will reach home at the earliest,” posted the High Commission on its X handle on Sunday.
Cyclone Ditwah, which has caused extensive rainfall and wind damage across Sri Lanka, forced large-scale disruptions to flight operations. Several services by IndiGo and SriLankan Airlines were cancelled, diverted or delayed. On Friday alone, five flights bound for Colombo — three from the Middle East, one from Malaysia and one from Sri Lanka — were diverted to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport due to severe weather conditions. Authorities in both India and Sri Lanka are coordinating efforts to restore normalcy and ensure the safe repatriation of stranded passengers as the region continues to reel under the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.
(IANS)
