PANAJI
Families of some 20 Goan students stranded in war-torn Ukraine have petitioned the Goa government's NRI Commissioner's office seeking assistance to evacuate them even as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has claimed it is in touch with the Indian embassy there to ensure their safety.
Sawant in a series of social media posts Sawant asked Goan students in Ukraine to stay in touch with the Indian embassy and seek assistance through the published phone helplines.
Senior bureaucrat Anthony D'Souza, who is director for NRI Affairs has also been named nodal officer who can be contacted on his mobile/whatsapp number 9850926003, Sawant said in his post.
"All Goans in Ukraine are hereby being advised to stay in touch with our Embassy 24*7 on Emergency Helpline Nos. +380997300483, +380997300428, +380933980327, +380635917881, +380935046170," Sawant said in one post.
While there is no specific information as to the exact number of Goans stranded in Ukraine, social media posts indicate that at least one student is stranded taking shelter in a bunker near his university in the east of Ukraine where the fighting is concentrated.
The student Jaeden Pereira, according to a Facebook post on the group Aldona Matters, is a student at the Suby University and calls for prayers and tangible assistance in facilitating his return home.
