Was panic situation, anti-social elements were also in streets'

Indian returnees from Syria

NEW DELHI: A group of Indian nationals, who were evacuated from conflict-stricken Syria and returned to India on Saturday, recounted the tense and chaotic conditions they endured in the country. They expressed gratitude to the Indian Embassy for maintaining "constant contact" throughout the ordeal. Upon their late evening arrival at Delhi airport, some of the evacuees shared their experiences from the past week with the media.

Sunil Dutt, a mechanical engineer from Chandigarh, claimed that the streets were also plagued by "anti-social elements" engaging in acts of "looting." It was a very bad situation and sights of fire and sounds of bombarding made it worse, he said.

However, the Indian Embassy was in "constant touch with us" and its personnel asked us to be calm, not open doors" to ensure safety, Dutt told reporters at Delhi airport.