Bengaluru: In a sign of how far removed from reality, rescuers can be, and while the Indian government was busy patting itself on the back over its evacuation efforts in Yemen, 187 Indians who have found themselves dumped in Djibouti. After arriving at Djibouti from Al Mukalla, which has been taken over by Al Qaeda troops, the Indians were told to find their own way back to the home country! As a mark of protest, they refused to disembark until the Indian government responds to their demands.

Read: Yemen crisis: 350 Indians reach Djibouti, to land in India tonight

INS Sumitra, which travelled from an undisclosed location near Al Mukalla, arrived at the African port of Djibouti at about 5 pm IST. The 187 Indians on board had been given to understand that a plane had been arranged to fly them from Djibouti to Kochi, although there was no information about when this plane would depart. When they arrived in Djibouti, all the 19 foreign nationals on board were flown back to their respective countries. The Indians were told by officials from the Indian Embassy in Djibouti that they had to make their own arrangements to catch a flight back home.

“We have been left to coordinate with a group of travel agents,” said Babu Joseph, one of them.