Passenger ships Kavaratti and Corals will dock at the Cochin Port at 2 p.m. on Saturday with 475 evacuees from the war-torn Yemen.
The returnees include 337 Bangladesh nationals and 65 Yemenis of Indian origin.
Kavaratti and Corals operated by the Lakshadweep administration were the first vessels to be tasked with evacuation of Indians from Yemen. They departed Kochi in the early hours of March 30.
In fact, Kavaratti had set sail to Lakshadweep the previous evening, as is routine. The vessel had to be summed back and passengers shifted to two smaller vessels.
Relief material sent
Relief material, including provisions, fresh water, medicines and additional fuel, were loaded on to Kavaratti and Corals before dispatching them for the massive evacuation drive.
The vessels, however, were anchored off Djibouti as the situation in Yemen was unfavourable for their entry into the ports there.
Naval destroyer INS Mumbai and frigate INS Tarkash escorted them up to Djibouti on their onward journey. On return, INS Tarkash escorted them initially until the job was taken over by INS Tir, based at the Southern Naval Command, midway through.
The passenger vessels also embarked Marine Commandos (Marcos) to ensure the security and safety of passengers and crew.
The arrival of the vessels would spell the conclusion of evacuation from Yemen by sea, said the Navy in a media release.
