In a dramatic overnight development, hundreds of civilians from Jammu and Kashmir, mostly tourists and families, arrived at New Delhi Railway station late Friday, May 16, fleeing intense missile strikes and drone attacks amid rising hostilities along the Indo-Pak border.
In a major evacuation effort, hundreds of students and tourists from Jammu and Kashmir arrived safely in New Delhi late Friday night, following an announcement by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of four special trains from Jammu.
The Jammu Tawi Special reached New Delhi Railway Station around 11.55 pm, carrying civilians escaping the escalating border tensions and cross-border attacks, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The railway station was abuzz with activity as stranded students, many studying in universities across Punjab and Delhi, made their way back to safety.
Most had been stuck in Kashmir due to ongoing missile and drone attacks, and were forced to travel first to Jammu before being evacuated via special trains.
For the students who came via the special train last night, the students' organisation, Students' Federation of India (SFI), made arrangements for the makeshift accommodations in office spaces and apartments in Delhi, with more than 200 students temporarily housed in coordination with the members of the organisation.
Speaking to the newspaper, SFI Delhi President Sooraj Elamon said, "All the 200 students were accommodated. We arranged food for them as well. The major concern was to arrange their travel back home. We got in touch with the railway officials and the Rajya Sabha MPs (Members of Parliament) to get the tickets booked at the earliest. We worked round the clock to finalise their tickets, provide food, and ensure they reached home safely."
He also added, "We had got over 300 distress calls from students who wanted to reach back home at the earliest. Meanwhile, the evacuation continues, with efforts underway to locate and assist others still stuck in the conflict zone. However the situation is still better now and the students hopefully will have no problems in returning once all the trains and flights are resumed."
VP Sahu, All India President SFI said, "SFI's Helpline has aided hundreds of stranded students from border regions, including Kashmir & Punjab. We've arranged accommodations in Delhi for them. We urge Punjab Central University's VC to act on our memorandum for ensuring safe transport for students to return home."
