Mangalore: A group of 220 Haj pilgrims returning to Mangalore were stranded at King Abdul Azeez International Airport at Jeddah on Sunday for more than 10 hours without food.
According to information reaching here, the group comprising many old pilgrims were stranded following revision of the flight schedule. “From 8 a.m. till about 6 p.m., we did not get any food. Appeals to the Indian Embassy and airport officials also did not help,” said Abdul Rahiman (41), a former Uppinangadi Gram Panchayat president, who is among the pilgrims.
Unhappy with food
Speaking to The Hindu from Jeddah, Mr. Rahiman said that even the food that was offered to the pilgrims late in the evening was not palatable, and many pilgrims are complaining of sickness.
The group has pilgrims from Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Udupi.
It was after Mangalore MLA U.T. Khader intervened that the pilgrims received food, said the spokesperson of Karnataka Haj Committee, Abdul Wajeed, who confirmed that the pilgrims were stranded. However, since the airport had a hectic international schedule, flight schedule has got revised, he added.
The flight that was to land in Mangalore at 10 p.m. on Sunday night will now reach at 8 a.m. on Monday.
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