After five full days of being stuck at the transit area of the Dubai International Airport, the Consulate General of India in Dubai tweeted that the 19 stranded Indians have been given hotel rooms at the airport.
“We thank the UAE authorities for accommodating the 19 Indian nationals who were stuck at Dubai airport for past several days. They got stranded due to various restrictions to deal with COVID-19 pandemic. Hotel rooms have been given to them inside the airport,” the consulate tweeted.
Indians in transit from various locations including Portugal, Tanzania, Sydney and in places in India were travelling when the UAE suspended all flights on March 23. India also suspended all international flights from March 22.
Rajendran Nair, one of the passengers who was stranded at the airport, tweeted that they were given no safety equipment, and even eateries were closed. Following this, they began to be supplied with food. He was flying from Kochi to Moscow, and had a 15-hour wait at the Dubai airport when UAE cancelled flights.
We are not provided any safety measures towards the COVID 19 virus and are all kept in the general area. I fear for our health as this is a hotbed for the virus to spread. Please take steps @ndtv @timesofindia @CMOKerala @KeralaGovernor @the_hindu
— Rajhu Nair (@RajhuNair) March 25, 2020
Videos taken in the airport showed passengers asleep on the airport floor.
This video is taken by a fellow Indian stranded in the airport, these are our conditions. Please help to find us a solution as no decision has been taken by the concerned authorities. @MEAIndia @meaMADAD @DrSJaishankar @ndtv @timesofindia @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/iwhJHKJ8yF
— Rajhu Nair (@RajhuNair) March 25, 2020
Helpless 18 Indians including 73-74 yr old couple on way 2 Ahmedabad,Kochi,Delhi stranded in Dubai airport. Foodstalls closed No food.Sleeping on floor.Indian embassy in Dubai not responding.Airport closed.Authorities asking Indians 2 leave.Nowhere 2 go.SOS @PMOIndia @cgidubai pic.twitter.com/G3q1wyZgmD
— 1afire (@1AFire) March 26, 2020
“Our Consulate had been in constant touch with the Indian nationals & UAE and Indian authorities. We had also provided some financial help to enable our stranded passengers to buy food. The situation was tough due to the pandemic situation,” the consulate tweeted.
“We also thank Dubai authorities for taking care of 10 Indian nationals who are residents of UAE and arrived from various parts of world at Dubai airport a few days back. They have been put in quarantine for the health and safety of all,” it added.
Speaking to TNM earlier on Friday, Rajendran’s son Sharan Nair had said that they were constantly in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs, as well as the Indian consulate. “It’s inhumane to leave 23 people in an airport transit area where there is no one from immigration and very few employees,” he had said.
Sharan had also put out videos appealing for help to reach those stranded in Dubai.
“I thank the @cgidubai @MEAIndia and the UAE Government for accommodating my dad and the 22 Indians in a hotel. A much safer place where they can be quarantined. I express my gratitude to each one of you for being with me,” he tweeted after they were put up in a hotel.