With nearly 300 Indians stranded in Colombo after Sri Lanka grappled with the aftermath of severe Cyclone Ditwah, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offering all necessary support.
As a result of Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka is experiencing widespread flooding, landslides and severe disruption to services, including flight cancellations. The island state is a popular tourist destination for Indians.
What did the Kerala CM say?
In his letter on Saturday, Vijayan said the cyclone caused severe disruption at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport and stranded nearly 300 Indian passengers, many of them from Kerala.
He said the Indian passengers were stranded there for the past three days without enough food, water and basic amenities.
The Chief Minister said that many passengers were using Colombo as a stopover for their return journey home or abroad and they are currently in crisis.
“We are deeply concerned about the condition of the people who are stranded. The Kerala government is ready to extend all necessary support and expects your kind urgent response and action,” Vijayan said in a letter to Jaishankar.
High Commission to help stranded Indian tourists
Earlier on Saturday, a top Indian diplomat met the stranded compatriots at the Colombo airport, provided them with food and water and assured them that Delhi would facilitate their quick journey back home.
“Acting High Commissioner @DrSatyanjal met the stranded Indian passengers at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo. Acting HC assured them of all possible assistance. He said the Indian government would facilitate their speedy journey back to India,” the Indian High Commission said in a post on X.
The post on X shared photos that depicted Acting High Commissioner Dr. Satyanjal Pandey as he met the distressed passengers.
The High Commission has also provided a link in a separate post for all Indian passengers stranded in Sri Lanka to register their details.
“Indian passengers can also check in at the Emergency Help Desk at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo,” it said.
Helpline number
Any Indian citizen in distress at the airports or in any part of Sri Lanka who needs help can contact the emergency number 94 773727832. (For WhatsApp too), the High Commission said.
