With appeals for help pouring in, the Indian embassy in Sudan has advised Indian nationals not to step out, ration their supplies and seek help from neighbours, as the situation seemed unlikely to change in the next few days.
Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority commissioner Manoj Rajan said he spoke to the group leader over the phone and directed them to follow the instructions of the embassy.
Hakki-Pikki community leader Raj Vel said eight members from three families of Shivamogga stuck in Sudan had sent out a video appeal to Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, seeking immediate rescue.
Prabhu S, from Gopalgram in Channagiri taluk, told TOI over the phone that heavy shelling and gun battle started in Al-Fashir on Saturday. “We can see unclaimed bodies on the road. We are forced to stay indoors for the past four days. We are running out of food and might face a shortage soon. We don’t even have water to drink,” he said.
Prabhu said the community traditionally doesn’t own any land holdings. On learning that ayurvedic products had a huge market in Sudan, they decided to sell medicines there. “I’ve taken a Rs 10-lakh loan to buy medicines and arrived in Sudan along with my wife 10 months ago,” he said.
Prabhu’s sister Usha, who is also in Al-Fashir, said her son and daughter-in-law were stranded in Khartoum.
