Operation Kaveri: Amid government efforts to evacuate its citizens from the violence-hit Sudan under its 'Operation Kaveri', a heartening video has surfaced showing the Indian Air Force’s Flight Lieutenant Har Raj Kaur Boparai helping a lady to board the aircraft in Jeddah.
She is the first and only woman IAF pilot to fly the C-17 transport aircraft which can carry over 70 tonnes of load in one go.
Earlier in the day, an Indian Air Force aircraft with 246 Indians evacuated from war-torn Sudan landed in Mumbai.
The plane, which took off from Jeddah around 11 am IST, landed here at 3.15 pm, an official said. The passengers included at least two on wheelchairs.
"Another #OperationKaveri flight comes to Mumbai. 246 more Indians come back to the motherland," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.
The first batch of 360 Indians arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday.
“Our efforts to swiftly send Indians back home from Jeddah is paying. 246 Indians will be in Mumbai soon, travelling by IAF C17 Globemaster. Happy to see them off at Jeddah airport,” tweeted Union minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan minutes before the plane left for Mumbai.
Under 'Operation Kaveri', India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.
The distance between Khartoum and Port Sudan is around 850 km and the travel time by bus varies from 12 hours to 18 hours considering the prevailing situation and whether the vehicles are operating during the day or night.
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