For the past two weeks, Johnson Ouseph from Alappuzha and three of his friends from Kerala have been huddled inside the staff quarters of Tubestar oil and gas services in Kish island in Iran.
They were relentlessly contacting the Indian embassy in Tehran to find a way back home. With the Kish International Airport closed down, and reports of COVID-19 in the island leading to some of the shops also being closed, the four of them are scared of being stranded in the island for a longer period.
Speaking to The Hindu over phone from Kish island, Mr. Ouseph said at least 500 Indians were employed in various companies in the small island, spread over an area of 91.5 square kilometre and located more than 1,000 kilometres away from Tehran.
“The airport here was closed down on February 27. Ferries have also been shut. Since March 1, we have been staying indoors and not been going to work, as COVID-19 cases have been reported. We have been in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tehran regularly. Initially, they told us that a medical team will come to Kish to carry out COVID-19 tests and take us from here, or they will make arrangements for us to go to Tehran. Last night, we got tensed, as shops were closing here due to the virus scare and contacted them again.
They told us that it is better to contact their consultant in Bandar Abbas, as that is our province. The consultant told us today morning that they are helpless as of now,” says Mr. Ouseph, hailing from Alappuzha.
When they contacted NoRKA Roots, the officials there also communicated their plight to the Indian embassy.
The four of them had also got in touch with 21 other Keralites who are working at a shopping mall here.
“Since this is a small island, which is cut off from outside, there is always the fear that once the virus spreads, it would be too hard to control it. We do not have much of an idea about the news from outside. We do have enough stock of food, but if the shops remain closed, we could face a crisis. The visas of two among us are also set to expire soon,” says Sachin T. Sabu from Kollam.
NoRKA
A NoRKA official told The Hindu that the Indian embassy had taken up the issue as a separate case along with that of the 400 others stranded there.
Last week, India had evacuated 58 of its nationals from Tehran in a C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Commercial air services between the two nations were suspended post the virus outbreak.
