India mulling alternative ways to rescue people after Kabul blasts

Following the blast incident at the Kabul airport on Thursday evening, the Indian authorities are now working on other ways to rescue the remaining Indians from Afghanistan, sources said on Friday.

In view of the threats of more attacks near the Hamid Karjai International Airport in Kabul, it has become quite risky to take the Indian workers there, the sources said, adding that a batch of over 150 Indians were taken away by the Taliban from the airport to the nearby Alokozai compound where their documents were inspected.

The Indian authorities have been mulling over possible safe land passage from Afghanistan to the neighbouring countries like Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to take out Indian nationals, the sources added.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also asked the Indian missions in the neighboring countries to be on alert. They have been asked to coordinate with the local governments for Indian chartered planes.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have evacuated over 550 people in six separate flights, either from Kabul or Dushanbe. Of these, over 260 were Indians. The government has also facilitated the evacuation of Indian nationals through other agencies. We were in touch with various countries, like the US and Tajikistan."