Air India passengers stranded in Russia's Magadan forced to sleep on school floor
Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Jun, 2023 01:50 PM
New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) A video footage has surfaced on Twitter showing stranded Air India passengers forced to sleep on the floor of a school after their San Francisco-bound flight was diverted to Magadan in Russia due to a techincal snag.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the alternate flight was dispatched for the Magadan airport from Mumbai around 1 p.m. and it will take six hours to reach there.
"Once the flight reaches, the passengers will be flown to their destination which is San Francisco," he said.
Earlier, on Tuesday Air India flight AI173, from Delhi to San Francisco, was forced to divert and make an emergency landing at Magadan airport in Russia due to a technical issue with one of its engines, officials said.
The Air India spokesperson said that the ferry flight is carrying food and other essentials for our passengers.
"All of us at Air India are concerned about the passengers and staff and are making every effort possible to operate the ferry flight as soon as possible, and to ensure the health, safety, and security of all while they wait," said the airline in a statement issued on Wednesday.
"As we do not have any Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to the passengers is the best possible in this unusual circumstance through our round the clock liaison with the Consulate General of India in Vladivostok, Ministry of External Affairs (Government of India), local ground handlers, and the Russian authorities," it added.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan said that Panaji Town Police station and Sardarpura Police station (Rajasthan) personnel nabbed wanted criminal Pavan Solanki, a native of Mandor in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.
The Health Ministry has advised that state should examine the situation of Covid-19 at micro level (district & sub-districts) and maintain focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19 duly ensuring effective compliance with various advisories issued by the Ministry.
As per the latest data, nearly 1.25 crore passengers were carried by the domestic airlines during January, 2023 in the country as against 64 lakh during the same period last year. The passenger load factor or occupancy of the airlines remained on the higher side in the range of 80 to 90 per cent.
The accused were identified as Hardeep Harnal (35), a resident of Mohali, Punjab; Himanshu Verma (27), a resident of Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh; Sharafat Ali (29), a resident of Ambala, Haryana; and Sagar Bagga (30), a resident of Rohini in Delhi.
Mishra, who was arrested by the Delhi Police from Bengaluru on January 7 for allegedly urinating on a 70-year-old woman while in a drunken state on a flight last November, was granted bail on January 31 by national capital's Patiala House Court.
NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh said the woman was identified as Syeeda Abida. She had plans to travel from Delhi to Doha by a Qatar Airline flight but was apprehended at IGI Airport on March 10.
