"Saving Ourselves Our Priority": Indian Students Being Evacuated In Tehran
As the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies, people in Tehran have been warned of a major Israeli attack after Iran's ballistic missiles caused significant damage in Tel Aviv. People in Iran's capital are leaving the city. So are Indians.
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- From: India News Bull
New Delhi / Tehran:
With escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, residents of Tehran face warnings of imminent Israeli retaliation following Iran's ballistic missile strikes that caused extensive damage in Tel Aviv and triggered explosions over Jerusalem. Citizens of Iran's capital are fleeing their homes and evacuating the city before anticipated Israeli missile strikes target major Iranian urban centers.
Among those evacuating are Indian students, predominantly from Jammu and Kashmir, with others from Karnataka and various other states. Tehran hosts three universities with substantial Indian student populations: Shahid Beheshti University, University of Tehran, and Iran University of Medical Sciences.
These students are being transported by buses from Tehran to Qom, situated 148 km away. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, students from Shahid Beheshti University reported significant traffic congestion on highways leading out of the capital.
"Each bus carries approximately 40 Indian students being evacuated from Tehran. We're heading to the nearest town on the outskirts," explained Sheikh Azhan, a student representative aboard one of the buses. He noted that "The roads are experiencing heavy traffic as many people are leaving the city. We're currently stuck in congestion."
Another student representative, Zakir Sheikh, stated, "We've maintained communication with Indian Embassy officials. Currently, we've only been informed about our relocation away from Tehran. There's no confirmation yet regarding our return to India."
According to NDTV's data, women constitute the majority of Indian students in Iran. Zakir Sheikh confirmed that "Most students on my bus are women. In our group, students primarily come from Jammu and Kashmir, though some are from Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh as well."
Sheikh Azhan mentioned that "My bus includes students from Maharashtra and Bengaluru too. Shahid Beheshti University alone has over 450 students. Students from three universities are being evacuated. Some students from another university joined our bus when theirs reached capacity."
"The Indian Embassy has informed us that students from all three universities are being relocated to cities surrounding Tehran. We'll remain there for several days while the government evaluates the next steps—whether we'll return to India or go back to Tehran if conditions improve—which will be communicated later," he added.
Mr. Azhan said, "We departed our university hastily without proper meals. The streets are chaotic, so we're uncertain when we might get refreshments."
Female students on the bus declined to comment. "They're exhausted and frightened. We all feel scared and anxious about the situation. Conditions here are unsafe. Our priority is survival and safe return home," Sheikh Azhan explained, adding that "We've heard reports of minor injuries among University of Tehran students, but they've joined the evacuation. Students from our university remain safe so far, thankfully."
"We haven't slept properly for several nights due to surrounding explosions. We managed to rest during daylight hours when attacks subsided. Our university has been extremely supportive throughout this situation. We're deeply grateful to our vice-chancellor," Mr. Azhan continued.
The students reported that the Indian Embassy has organized evacuation plans based on university locations. Universities in northern Tehran have different evacuation destinations compared to those in western and southern areas of the city.