Caught in crossfire, Indians in Iran want to return home
With the Israel-Iran conflict entering its fifth day on Tuesday, Indian citizens – from workers in Israel to students and pilgrims in Iran – caught in the crossfire are distressed, with many desperate to return home.
While on Tuesday 100 Indian students reached Armenia to fly back to New Delhi on Wednesday, Indian citizens in the warzone told The Hindu that the air strikes and missile attacks have left them scarred.
From a safe house in Iran's Qom, Hania, a fourth-year MBBS student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, recalled seeing the men's dormitory being hit by an Israeli air strike. 'The glass windows broke and the hit injured at least two Indian students who were in the dormitory,' said Ms. Hania, who is from Jammu and Kashmir.
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After receiving instructions from the Indian embassy, Ms. Haniya and her peers took a cab to reach Qom, around 180 km from Tehran. Ms. Hania said she is waiting for the Indian embassy to evacuate her and other fellow Indians.
Mohammed Ali, 40, a Noida resident who had gone on a pilgrimage with 40 others to Mashhad, Iran, on June 3, said that there is no clarity on what to do next and no information on how long Qom will be safe. 'How long can we wait inside a room? We do not know if we should stay put here (Qom) or arrange for ways to reach the Armenian border,' said Mr. Ali.
In north Iran, at least 130 students from Tehran University have been sheltered in a safe house, with 15 in each room. Speaking to The Hindu, Abrar, a fourth-year MBBS student, said that at least three students were injured in Israel's airstrike, and barring first aid, they did not get any medical treatment. 'The students need surgical attention. But because of the war here, such injuries are not being given attention,' he said.
In Israel, Indian nationals engaged at construction sites for the past year are still going to work but are worried about the missile attacks.
'You could be doing your work at the construction site, and when you look up, you either see a missile being intercepted or one being launched. These have become part of our lives,' said Haryana's Dinesh Malik, 38, a construction worker in Rishon LeZion, Israel.
Tilak Raj, 40, another construction worker from Haryana, said that on the day of the air strike on Tel Aviv, all he could do was think about his family. 'It felt like the entire place would blow up and all I wanted at that moment was to see my family,' said Mr. Raj. He and other colleagues were all shifted to a site in Or Akiva, almost 50 km from Tel Aviv. But that has not brought him any comfort, for every time he spots a flare in the sky, a chill runs down his spine, and he fears the worst.
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