Nearly 100 Indian students stranded in Kyrgyzstan

Osh, Kyrgyzstan: Ethnic riots in Kyrgyzstan have left more than 100 people dead; thousands of refugees are crossing the border into Uzbekistan. (See pics)
 
Stranded in the country are 90 Indian students, who the Indian government says it is trying to evacuate.

Fierce clashes between the Kyrgyz majority and the Uzbek minority erupted on Thursday night, turning much of the Central Asian nation into a warzone.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirms that 90 Indian students are trapped, most of them who are in the country in different medical colleges.

Uzbekistan says close to 80,000 Uzbeks are being sheltered in camps along the border. Experts fear a humanitarian crisis will follow. 

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One of those students, Dr Sumita, told NDTV on the phone, "They have cut down the gas...and we can't go out... and whatever groceries are left, we have to do with that. In Osh, the military is shifting all the students to military camps... we are about 100 km away from Osh... so nothing has come to us as aide. We are all staying at a Pakistani friend's place."

Dr Sumita, describes the condition of others, who, like her, are stranded. Listen here.

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PTI reports that Pakistan has decided to airlift its students from Kyrgyzstan. (Read: Pak military to airlift students in Kyrgyzstan)

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In April, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted and replaced by an interim government.  Local Uzbeks support the provisional government and that had led to a simmering tension for weeks in areas where Bakiyev was popular.

Bakiyev is now in exile in Belarus.