44 Kerala nurses from Libya arrive in Kochi

Fighting between rival militias in Tripoli prompts evacuation

The first batch of 44 Kerala nurses, evacuated from Libya, arrived here Tuesday morning from Dubai.

 

The nurses were brought to Dubai from Tunisia by a bus. In Dubai, they boarded a scheduled Emirates flight to Kochi at 3.30 am, airport officials here said.

 

The nurses were working in various hospitals in Libya.

 

These 44 nurses are among the 58 who had reached Tunisia from Tripoli two days ago. Another batch of 43 nurses reached the Tunisian border yesterday.

 

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on August 1, seeking the Centre's help in arranging a flight to facilitate the return of the nurses.

 

Fighting between rival militias in Tripoli over the past three weeks and clashes between Islamists and army in the eastern city of Benghazi have prompted several countries to evacuate their nationals and diplomatic staff.

 

Last month, 46 nurses, who were held captive by ISIS militants in Iraq, returned home by a special Air India flight here bringing an end to their about month-long trauma.