The state government of Andhra Pradesh has launched a large-scale evacuation plan to bring back 217 of its citizens who were stranded in Nepal. The evacuation efforts are scheduled to begin on Thursday, in coordination with the Government of India and Nepalese authorities. A 218-seater IndiGo flight has been arranged to airlift the majority of the stranded passengers from Kathmandu. The state government has established contact with all 217 citizens, who are currently located across 12 different sites in Nepal, including Kathmandu, Hetauda, Pokhara, and Simikot.
The group of stranded individuals consists of 118 women and 98 men, with nearly 70 percent of them above the age of 50. The largest contingents are from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Kurnool, with the remaining individuals from 22 other districts in Andhra Pradesh. The evacuation plan involves airlifting the passengers from Kathmandu, while those in other locations will be transported to Nepalgunj or Raxaul on the Bihar border and then travel by road to Lucknow or Andhra Pradesh.
The Nepal Army will provide security escort to transport the passengers to the airport, and helicopters are on standby as a contingency. A 14-seater charter flight is being arranged to transport the 10 citizens from Pokhara to Nepalgunj, subject to approval from the Nepalese Air Force. The Andhra Pradesh government has assured the families of all stranded individuals that every effort is being made to ensure their safe and swift return. Dedicated teams are in continuous communication with the Embassy of India, the Government of India, and local officials to facilitate a smooth evacuation.
AP minister Nara Lokesh has been coordinating efforts to bring stranded Telugus safely back home and has tweeted that 22 Telugus were brought to India via Bihar, with efforts ongoing to bring others back as well. The Andhra Pradesh Bhawan will coordinate the onward travel of the stranded individuals to Andhra Pradesh, and the District Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Motihari, Bihar, have been briefed to provide assistance with immigration procedures. The state government is working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of all stranded citizens.