8 hours ago
Prayagraj family returns from Iran safely, thanks govt for all help and care
Syed Ghazanfar Abbas, a resident of Rani Mandi in Prayagraj, along with his son, daughter and sister, finally returned to their hometown on Monday after getting stuck in war-torn Iran for several days. Syed Ghazanfar Abbas, resident of Rani Mandi, along with his family after returning safely from Iran on Monday. (HT)
The family could never forget the day when they had just left the hotel in Qom city, Iran on June 13 to catch a flight to Tehran when the war between Israel and Iran started. Amidst the chaos, Syed Ghazanfar Abbas was told that the flight was cancelled and that he and his family would have to stay back in the same hotel for some time. The sudden change in conditions had stalled air travel for four days.
When Syed reached Prayagraj on Monday morning with his family, he first thanked the Indian government for every possible care and assistance extended at every step, which made their safe return to his homeland possible.
Syed said that the Indian Embassy made all arrangements to take us out of the hotel in Qom city, from where we were sent in a Volvo to Mashhad city with complete arrangements having been made for food and accommodation in a five-star hotel.
We were brought to Delhi in a flight with full security at 6.30 pm on the night of June 22 from Mashhad airport. The flight reached Delhi airport at 11 pm on Sunday, he added.
Every Indian came out of the plane with a tricolor in their hands. As per him, to welcome the Indians back home, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita was present at the airport, who kept meeting everyone one by one and welcoming them.
After arriving in India, since Syed had already booked tickets for his family members in Jammu Mail for Prayagraj, they boarded the train from Delhi station and arrived in Prayagraj on Monday morning. To greet the family back home safely, a gathering of well-wishers kept pouring in throughout the day to enquire about their well-being and the situation in Iran.
Narrating his experience in Iran, Syed kept telling people that in the hotel where he stayed with his family in Qom and Mashhad city of Iran, all were scared to see Israeli missile and drone attacks and their sound for two hours.
'I had never seen such a war before in life. Iran's air defense system used to destroy those missiles in mid air itself. The siren used to ring throughout the night, and many times it came to my mind that I should leave everything to Allah, for whatever happens, he will take care of us,' he said.
