Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 27 (EMN): Another medical student from Nagaland is reported to be stranded in Ukraine's port city of Odessa as of Sunday.
Lanu Amenla Aier from Kuda village, studying at Odesa National Medical University, told Eastern Mirror that she is stuck at Odessa city and is "confused" whether to move out or not as "proper information" from the Embassy isn’t being received.
This came to light after news of a medical student from Poilwa village, who had moved out from the war-hit zone, was reported in this newspaper.
"We (Indian students) were just confused because we didn't receive proper information from the Embassy (of India in Ukraine). All of us are confused whether we should wait or we should go", Amenla related.
She shared that some of her friends were of the view that 'maybe the Embassy doesn't want to take risks. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine earlier directed Indian nationals to arrange buses and arrive at the border areas like Romanian, Hungary etc’.
Accordingly, students are arranging on their own and are trying to reach those places, she said and expressed hope that the Indian Embassy would do something from the border.
Amenla and her friends were planning to leave Odessa by Sunday night to reach another place (by train), from where they would board a bus en-route Hungary.
When asked about the expenditure, she said she isn't ‘quite sure’ whether the expenses would have to be borne by themselves or by the students' contractors.
The medical student went on to add that some Indian students had left Odessa while some, including herself, were still stuck there.
However, she wasn’t sure about the exact number of students who were stranded despite trying to gather information. "Too much is going on right now", she said.
Amenla, who will be completing her medical studies by mid-2023, expressed apprehension of reaching India anytime soon as she is still stuck in Ukraine.
'People who went to the borders are still stuck owing to the enormous amount of people trying to flee from Ukraine. There are many people standing out there (at the borders) in the cold for hours', she said citing her conversation with friends who already reached the border.
"There is no bombing and nothing is serious here (in Odessa)", the 26 year old said and added she is "okay".
On Sunday morning, around 5 am, they heard shooting sounds only to learn later that Ukrainians were just trying to destroy enemy drones.
‘Again, there are some people going around trying to put bombs and stuffs, creating target for the enemies to shoot,’ she said speaking about the current situation at port city of Odessa. 'Remember us in your prayers', she requested.
In her message to the people back home, she said: "We are safe here and we are trying to leave this place as soon as possible. Please remember us in your prayers as that'll be very helpful".
"We are also in tension (about her safety) as we can do nothing from here", said her worried father, Lanu Aier.
'We have heard of news about attacks happening even in the border area and civilians being affected', he went on to add.
Due to the chaotic situation including that of curfew imposition, the Embassy has directed stranded students not to venture out.
Meanwhile, as reported by this newspaper, another medical student from Nagaland studying in Ukraine, Machi Yirackchang, who was earlier heading towards Poland has changed his direction to Slovakia.
"I am changing my route to the Slovakia border, (as it is) more convenient to cross and to travel back to India", he informed this newspaper on Sunday.