New Delhi: Superstar Akshay Kumar has requested all Indian citizens in the war-torn city of Juba, South Sudan, to get in touch with Indian Embassy there to avail of the facility to be evacuated from the city on July 14, 2016. Juba has been on turmoil for days now with violent clashes between pro- and anti-government forces.
In a tweet, Akshay appealed to all the Indian citizens stuck there to obtain details of departure and arrival of the flights allotted to evacuate them from the Embassy.
Here is what he tweeted:
Only yesterday Akshay had addressed a tweet to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take speedy measures for evacuation of Indians. Responding to the tweet, Swaraj assured Akshay that the government has been putting in place an evacuation plan for its nationals from the war-torn country.
The latest tweet by Akshay could come in extremely handy to Indians stranded there. In his tweet, Akshay also asked people to spread the word.
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According to media reports around 272 people have lost their lives as rival government factions clashed in the world’s youngest nation. The fighting involving heavy weapons and helicopter gunships has mounted fears that the country might slide back into a civil war. President Kiir and former rebel leader Machar have fought a civil war which broke out in December 2013 and left tens of thousands of people dead.
This initiative by Akshay is reminiscent of his role in the movie ‘Airlift’. In this 2016 release based on real-life characters, Kumar played the role of Ranjit Katyal, an influential NRI businessman who helps his fellow Indians leave Kuwait safely. In the movie, Ranjit with his constant efforts and coordination with the Indian government enabled evacuation of 1,70,000 refugees using 488 flights over a span of 59 days.
The Indian government, on its part, has assured that it is taking all possible measures to ensure the safe evacuation of all stranded Indians in Juba.
