Hyderabad pastor among stranded Indians in Bahrain first to return home

A Hyderabad pastor and over 140 passengers stranded in Bahrain returned to India via Saudi Arabia after airspace closures due to regional conflict. Gulf Air operated a special flight to Kochi as authorities facilitated the evacuation

By Gulf Correspondent

Dubai: “There is nothing like home in Hyderabad, India, and we missed it a lot,” said D. Sanjay Kumar before departing for India on a special flight on Tuesday evening.

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He is among 140 passengers who crossed from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, from where they flew to Kochi on a special Gulf Air flight. From Kochi, he will travel to Hyderabad. Sanjay, a pastor from Kukatpalli in Hyderabad, was in Bahrain to participate in a Telugu Christian spiritual congregation where over 120 Telugu church community leaders from across Gulf countries, as well as from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, had gathered.

Some participants left on February 27, while others were scheduled to depart on February 28. Accordingly, they reached the airport, obtained boarding passes and completed all formalities.

“When we were in the lounge waiting for the aircraft, we heard explosion sounds and within a short period we were evacuated and moved to a hotel,” he told Telangana Today over the phone.

“Our anxiety grew day by day as airspace remained closed in the country. The only option for us was to enter Saudi Arabia, where flights operate normally, and then catch a flight to India,” he explained.

Sanjay said that although there were disruptions and explosions in the island nation, he felt safe and out of danger. However, he emphasised that he had missed his family and home in India.

The Christian community reached out to the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments. In turn, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials and Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu to expedite their return.

Officials from the ministries of external affairs and civil aviation in New Delhi pursued the case, facilitating the church leaders’ return on the first repatriation flight from neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Apart from Sanjay, several pastors from both Telugu states also returned home.

Several Telugu NRIs and stranded transit passengers also returned to India on Tuesday as Gulf Air resumed operations from Saudi Arabia. Gulf Air is Bahrain’s flag carrier, and Bahrain’s airspace remains closed due to the ongoing military conflict.

Gulf Air is also operating flights to India on Wednesday, bringing back over 120 Telugu NRIs and visitors.