Even as India has begun efforts to bring back its stranded citizens from war-torn Ukraine, Pratik Patel, a Gujarati, has shared a video describing the problems being faced in crossing over the borders of neighbouring countries.
In a video that went viral late night on Friday, Pratik, who is seen wearing woollens and a woollen cap, has identified himself as a native of Kheda district of Gujarat. He has said that he is from Eranj village in Maudha taluka.
Patel in the video is seen appealing to the Indian government, seemingly from Ukraine, to release guidelines only if it is fully ready to help. He claimed that the helpline numbers declared were not functioning.
The situation in Kiev is very bad and Russian Army has come in, he said.
Patel said that they somehow managed to borrow money and hire a taxi. According to him, they are a group of four people, including a four-month pregnant woman. The woman, he said, is in pain and cannot walk up to the border that is far away. He said that they have already walked 30 kilometer as the taxi driver left them halfway.
Patel said that they do not have much money left and ATMs were also not functioning so it was not possible for someone back in India to transfer the money to them.
Patel said that the Indian Government has been saying to reach Poland, Hungary and Slovakia borders. However, it isn’t that easy as there is a long line of 200 kilometers. He said that people have been waiting in their own cars but they do not have a car and the petrol pump where they were standing asked them not to stay overnight.
According to him, 20,000 people are stranded and need to cross over the borders.
One of the other problems faced, he said, was that there are no charging points. Even as I shoot the video, my mobile battery is only 30 per cent and I do not know whether I will be able to cross Poland border or not, he said.