E-Paper
Lviv 1,000km away, no transportation available, say students holed up in school
At least 900 students have so far reached Pisochyn on foot, where they have taken shelter in a school
Many of the stranded Indian students, who reached Pisochyn — a town located nearly 12km away from Ukraine’s Kharkiv — are currently taking shelter in a school. They have been asked to reach Lviv, which is 1,000km from Pisochyn, to avail any assistance.
Karanpal Singh Sandhu, an overseas education facilitator from Punjab, who was settled in Kharkiv and had been providing food and shelter to students there, said at least 900 students have so far reached Pisochyn on foot. “They have taken shelter in a school with heating arrangements. As shelling is going on, there is an acute shortage of food. However, we have managed to arrange some food items and also received assistance from the Indian government, but that would not be enough,” he added. “Students are saying that no transport service is available,” he said further.
Karan said embassy officials had told him that the location of the school has been shared with Moscow and Ukraine authorities and there will be no shelling in and around the premises. “We need buses at the earliest to reach the safe zone. The students are jittery after forces targeted a nursery school in Kharkiv,” he added.
Kuldip Singh, father of Ekamdeep Singh from Kapurthala, who is studying in second year Kharkiv National Medical University, said as per the advisory issued by the Indian government, his son moved to Pisochyn . “He told me that shelling was going on and he, along with other students, are in danger. They have been told to reach Lviv, but there is no transportation available. He said told me that there are nearly 700 students in the school and all are scared,” said Kuldip.
Punjab’s additional director general of police (ADGP) MF Farooqui, who is the nodal officer for monitoring the return journey of students from Ukraine, meanwhile said 26 students belonging to state have come back home safely. He said total 62 students from Punjab have returned since February 27.
Preneet meets kin of Patiala students stuck in Ukraine
Patiala MP Preneet Kaur on Thursday visited the families of two local girls studying in Kharkiv, who are currently stuck in Ukraine.
She first met the family of Abhishree Malhotra, a first-year student of Kharkiv National Medical University and spoke with her on phone, while assuring her that the government is doing everything possible for the safe evacuation of all Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine.
Later, Preneet visited the family of Harshita Sharma, a fourth-year student of Kharkiv International University and also assured her and her family that every possible efforts are being made for earliest repatriation of students.
(With inputs from Patiala)
