Efforts on to bring 200 students stuck in Ukraine: CM Bommai
Hubballi, Mar 6: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said efforts are on to airlift nearly 200 students from Karnataka who are stranded in the bunkers in Kharkiv in war-torn Ukraine.
"There are 200 students from Karnataka stuck in the bunkers in Kharkiv. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine is working hard to bring them to India. We are also in constant touch with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the rescue operation and efforts are on to bring students to India," Bommai told reporters here.
The Chief Minister welcomed Chaithra Gangadhar Saunshi from village Yaraguppi in Kundakol in Dharwad district, who returned from Kharkiv.
According to the Chief Minister's office, Saunshi was studying in Kharkiv Ukraine when the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine and Kharkiv was among the worst affected places.
The CMO said Saunshi was holed up in a bunker for a week and then she walked for nine kilometres and reached Poland.
After crossing the Ukraine border the Indian embassy authorities helped her fly to India. After reaching New Delhi she arrived in Karnataka.
Saunshi's parents have thanked the Indian government for bringing their daughter back to the country.
The Chief Minister said there were four people from Dharwad stranded in Ukraine of which two have returned while the remaining two have crossed the Ukraine border.
Regarding bringing back S G Naveen's body, a fourth year medical student in Kharkiv who died in the shelling in Kharkiv on March 1, Bommai said the Indian Embassy in Ukraine has been working there.
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
