Amid intensified efforts by the central government to evacuate the thousands of Indians stranded in war-hit Ukraine, the pilot of a special SpiceJet flight from Hungary's Budapest to New Delhi expressed pride in the courage demonstrated by the plane full of passengers and reassured them that they were now safe.
In a video, the pilot is seen making a heartening announcement to all passengers aboard the nine-hour flight.
"We are very happy to see all of you safe and sound, and proud of each and every one of you for your courage and determination." said the captain.
"You overcame the uncertainty, the hardship, the fear, and have made it here safely. And now, it's time to go back to our motherland. It's time to go home," he added.
Advising the plane of largely students to sit back, relax, sleep, de-stress, and enjoy the flight, the pilot noted that the travelers would soon be reunited with their families.
His announcement was followed by vigorous clapping and cheering, as passengers shouted 'Bharat mata ki jai' and 'Vande mataram,' in an enthusiastic expression of relief at being on their way home.
Around 16,000 Indian students are still stuck in Ukraine. Since Russian forces launched their invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, stranded students have been desperately seeking help through news and social media platforms, forwarding videos of their plight from railway stations, border posts, and bunkers.
Alleging manhandling, they said they were not being allowed to board trains and noted abuse of Indian students at Ukraine's borders, as they attempted to flee into neighbouring countries.
Approximately 9,000 Indian nationals have left via special flights organised in nearby countries, with more taking off in the coming days from Bucharest, Budapest, Poland's Rzeszow and Slovakia's Kocise.
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