Indians to be brought to Malta from Libya

A ship will bring Indian nationals from Benghazi to Malta, from where they will then be taken to India via a special flight.

Meanwhile two special flights, one from Malta and one from Tunisia, have also been arranged to evacuate a second batch of Indians stranded in Tripoli and Benghazi. The flights are expected to accommodate around 300 people.

Embassy officials have told NORKA, the Indian state department that caters for the concerns of non-resident Keralite Indians, that most Indians stranded in Libya are reluctant to leave the war-torn country.

While unconfirmed reports suggest that there are Keralites in Benghazi and 1000 in Tripoli, NORKA chief executive P. Sudip said that only 315 of them have so far registered their names with the department of evacuation from Libya. Many of the others have cited “logistics problems” as reason for their reluctance to leave.

Heavy fighting in the last few weeks has claimed the lives of more than 230 people in Tripoli and Benghazi.

Last Saturday, 22 people were killed when rival militias fought for control over Tripoli’s airport. The Indian Embassy in Tripoli has urged all Indians in Tripoli and Benghazi to evacuate the country as soon as possible.