604 Indians make it home safe

India today began airlifting its citizens evacuated from Lebanon, with 604 people arriving home in two Air-India aircraft. Friday also saw the first Indian casualty of the war. Devesh Kumar Swain, an employee of the Maliban glass factory in Bekka valley in South Lebanon, today succumbed to injuries sustained in the Israeli air strikes. However, more details are awaited.

8216;8216;Communication is difficult. We are trying to get whatever information we can at the moment. The embassy is completely besieged with the evacuation effort,8217;8217; the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The aircraft carrying 342 passengers from Cyprus took off at 3.42 pm for Chennai. The second Boeing with 262 evacuees left Larnaca for Mumbai around 5 pm. Sources said the airlift was delayed as the ship from Lebanon arrived late.

INS Brahmaputa was expected to ferry another 300-odd people out of Beirut on today morning, but could not do so as it did not get berthing at the port.