Last batch of stranded Indians in S Africa to return home on Sunday

Despite having normal day jobs, we did not mind the late night work one bit and it is a different feeling when we are of help to someone, especially in such unprecedented times,” said John Francis, Vice President of India Club. As the passengers prepared ahead of the boarding on Sunday, a visibly overcome woman, who asked not to be identified, shared her story of a double misfortune during her first visit to South Africa.

The last batch of Indians, who were stranded in South Africa due to the global travel restrictions, will return home on Sunday. More than 50 of the 183 passengers are IT employees from Bengaluru who were stuck in the country after their contracts were ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fourteen South Africans, who could not return to their workplace in India, will also travel. This is the second private repatriation flight arranged by India Club, an ethnic, socio-cultural group. The first one was to Hyderabad on June 21.

The flight has not been filled to capacity, suggesting that there are no more stranded Indians seeking urgent repatriation. “This repatriation assignment has given us a different opportunity and satisfaction. Despite having normal day jobs, we did not mind the late night work one bit and it is a different feeling when we are of help to someone, especially in such unprecedented times,” said John Francis, Vice President of India Club.

As the passengers prepared ahead of the boarding on Sunday, a visibly overcome woman, who asked not to be identified, shared her story of a double misfortune during her first visit to South Africa. “This is the most horrific period of my life. As I was preparing for a surgery, I got a call that my father has passed away.

“It was devastating. The fact that I could not meet him one last time will pain me for the rest of my life,” she said. Francis said that the test is mandatory for all the passengers as a filter mechanism to assist in identifying the COVID-19 cases.

The passengers. who will continue to destinations across India, will be subject to the quarantine rules prescribed by the Government of India and state governments after they reach Bengaluru on Monday. The Indian government has so far operated three Vande Bharat mission flights from South Africa, repatriating over a thousand people.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)