116 Bhatkal passengers arrive in Mangaluru from Saudi Arabia; Quarantine location remains a question

With 176 passengers including 6 infants onboard, 'IndiGo' operated special chartered flight, hired by Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat Eastern Province brings home stranded people of Bhatkal and surrounding areas from Dammam in Saudi Arabia to Mangaluru International Airport on Saturday.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, thousands of Indians have stuck in different parts of the world including Saudi Arabia. With International flight services continue to remain suspended, the Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat Eastern Province came with an initiative to repatriate stranded citizens of Bhatkal and surrounding areas back home, wherein among 176, a total of 116 are from Bhatkal including Murdeshwar, Manki and Honnavar, who were repatriated on a chartered flight.

Abdul Sami Kola, former President of Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat Riyadh, who arrived Mangaluru on the same flight, told SahilOnline over a phonecall that the flight took off from Dammam Airport at 7 AM, and landed at 2 PM in Mangaluru. In Mangaluru, Mr Arshad SM, President of Bhatkali Jamaatul Muslimeen Mangalore, Mr Imtiaz Damda, General Secretary and many other members were present to welcome the passengers, he said. He said that a total of 116 people from Bhatkal and surrounding areas were taken to quarantine centre in the busses engaged by Bhatkali Jamaatul Muslimeen Mangaluru. According to Abdul Sami, they have been told to quarantine at Mangaluru hotel for seven days.

Speaking



with SahilOnline after the successful landing of the flight at Mangaluru, President of Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat Eastern Province, Mr Muhammad Naeem Ikkeri, said that our people were badly stranded in various cities of Saudi Arabia due to the Corona Lockdown. On studying the plight of our people here, we managed to get the chartered flight with total of 171 people on board, in which we gave priority to pregnant women and the elderly people as well as the distressed ones. Passengers who were accommodated in this flight included people from Bhatkal, Murdeshwar, Honnavar, Kumta, Sirsi, Karwar, Shiroor, Kundapur, etc., while some people from Shimoga, Bengaluru and other areas were also given a chance to fly home on this flight. Mr Naeem said that we received full cooperation and support from Bhatkali Jamaatul Muslimeen Mangaluru, and the members of the Jamaat are constantly in touch with us. On this occasion, he thanked all the members of Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat Eastern Province, Bhatkal Muslim Khaleej Council, and Murdeshwar Jamaat members, who worked hard for the success of this repatriation flight.

It may be recalled that there are no vacancies for quarantine at both Anjuman Quarantine Center and Ali Public School in Bhatkal. At Bhatkal Women's Center, Corona positive patients have been isolated. If people from Dammam are sent to Bhatkal, then arrangements for a separate place for quarantine should be made, or they have to be quarantined in Government residential schools.