Ukraine crisis: Operation Ganga underway, 160 evacuees reach Delhi from Hungary in special flight

New Delhi: As 'Operation Ganga' is underway to bring back stranded Indians from war-hit Ukraine, another special flight carrying 160 evacuees landed in Delhi from Hungary's Budapest on Monday (March 7). 

The Air Asia flight evacuated the stranded Indian students from Hungary and landed at the airport around 4-4.30 am, ANI reported. 

#RussiaUkraine | A special flight, carrying 160 Indian evacuees from Ukraine, lands in Delhi from Budapest in Hungary.#OperationGanga pic.twitter.com/wLsIfWHoZl — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2022

India has brought back its more than 15,920 nationals on 76 flights under evacuation mission 'Operation Ganga', officials said on Sunday, PTI reported. Meanwhile, as many as 700 students are still trapped in Ukraine's Sumy, battling for survival amid fast depleting supplies and exit routes to safety blocked by intense fighting.

India began 'Operation Ganga' and has been bringing back its nationals from Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova after they reach these countries bordering Ukraine. The first flight had returned with the evacuees on February 26 from Bucharest.

The officials said on Sunday that around 2,500 Indians were evacuated on 13 flights in the last 24 hours, adding that seven flights are scheduled over the next 24 hours to bring back stranded Indians from Hungary, Romania and Poland.

"Under Operation Ganga, so far 76 flights have brought over 15,920 Indians back to India. Out these, 13 flights landed in the last 24 hours," an official was quoted by PTI.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Sunday said it is "absolutely essential" to pause the fighting in Ukraine to allow for the safe passage of civilians caught in the conflict in areas like Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy.

"It is absolutely essential to establish a pause in the fighting in Ukraine to allow for the safe passage of civilians from Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy, as well as all other places caught in conflict, and to ensure life-saving humanitarian supplies can move in for those who remain," Guterres tweeted. 

(With agency inputs)

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