The ordeal: Two days in bunkers, a six-hour bus journey, an 8-kilometre walk in freezing temperature & a patient one-and-half-day wait in queue
MARGAO
She took shelter in the bunkers two days to escape bombing by Putin’s army and air force, took a six-hour bus journey to the border, walked eight kilometres on foot from war-torn Ukraine, before she flew out from Romania to return back to her motherland on Thursday.
Third-year student of Vinnytsia National Medical University, Anezka Fernandes was finally happy and relaxed as she returned home at Borda on Thursday, bringing smiles on her parents, friends and relatives.
Narrating her ordeal in the war-torn Ukraine, where she was doing her final year medicine, Anezka said it all started around February 24 when her friends were stuck up at the Kyiv airport as Russia declared war. “My friends told us that the situation is bad and they were stuck up at the Kyiv airport. Instead of flying back home, they were told to go away and head towards the borders. By that time, sounds of blasts and gun fire had struck Ukraine,” she said.
Anezka recalled that Vinnytsia, where she and her friends were studying medicine, was not spared either. “A weapon depot at Vinnytsia exploded after being hit by the enemy shelling. From that time, we had to take shelter in a bunker,” she said.
In fact, Anezka and her friends took shelter in a bunker for two days, occasionally moving out to the nearby apartment to make purchases. “The moment the siren blew, we used to return back to the bunker. The groceries were all empty as people were stocking food. We were all worried and scared what would happen next,” she said.
Finally, Anezka and her friends decided to leave Vinnytsia after paying heed to the reports from friends and the Indian embassy. However, they realised that they cannot move out with the Kyiv airport as well as the Vinnytsia airport taken over. “We all decided to head to Romania, but we did not know to go there. Luckily, one of our friend’s teacher arranged a bus for us to undertake the six-hour journey to the border area of Romania, where we stayed in a shelter arranged by some Indian students,” she said.
The ordeal did not end there. The bus driver dropped the students at a place around eight kilometres from the Romanian border, leaving them to walk the distance on foot with luggage and food to make it to the border post.
At the border, around 2,000 Indian students were already there, waiting for 2-3 days for the authorities to provide them shelter and other assistance. “The Romanian and Ukrainian volunteers were kind in providing the students with food and water. They also made available firewood so that the students can make bonfires. For a day and half, we had to stand in a line at the border, as the authorities were letting only 1-3 students. The airport at Romania was overcrowded with students as everyone was anxious to catch the flight to reach home,” she added.
Anezka’s father praises Almighty, thanks PM, govt on his daughter’s safe return
MARGAO: Anezka’s father Milton thanked and praised Lord Jesus Christ as her daughter reached home safely on Thursday.
While thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government for launching the Operation Ganga, Milton prayed that all the remaining students and the last Indian reach back home safely. “I thank and praise Jesus that my daughter is safe home. And, I thank the government and the Prime Minister for launching the Operation Ganga and getting my daughter home. I pray that all the remaining students and Indians also reach home at the earliest,” he said, while expressing his gratitude to the Air Force, airline staff and the logistics staff for their role in the Operation Ganga.
