41 Keralites stranded in Afghanistan, seek immediate evacuation

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 17 (IANS) As many as 41 Keralites, including women and children, presently in Afghanistan have contacted the Non-Resident Keralite Affairs (Norka) Department and sought help for their immediate evacuation, a state government official said on Tuesday.Principal Secretary K. Elangovan, who heads the Norka department, said that he has written to Ministry of External Affairs' Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa services and Office of International Affairs) Sanjay Bhattacharyya seeking immediate evacuation of the Keralites."We have been receiving large number of panic calls from Afghanistan seeking immediate evacuation from Afghanistan. Some of the messages received here stated that the Talibans are verifying the identity of the stranded Indians and are taking away their passports and other important documents," he told Bhattacharya.
--IANS sg/vd