Hundreds of passengers, many of them US citizens, have been left stranded in the remote Russian town of Magadan after their Air India flight was forced to make an emergency landing due to engine trouble. The flight, which departed from Delhi en route to San Francisco on Tuesday, was diverted to the small Siberian port town after a technical issue with one of its engines.
Local authorities provided assistance, but the 232 passengers were housed in makeshift accommodation, including a local school, where they slept on thin mattresses on the floor. Air India stated that due to the remote location and lack of staff in Russia, ground support was limited. A replacement flight was dispatched and arrived on Wednesday afternoon, carrying essentials and food.
Passengers reported being barred from leaving their hostel and unable to use credit cards due to sanctions related to Russia's war in Ukraine. Girvaan Singh Kahma, 16, described the first day and a half as very hard, with temperatures dropping to 3-4 degrees Celsius at night. However, he praised the treatment by Russian authorities and police.
India's civil aviation minister confirmed that mechanics were being sent to repair the original aircraft. The US State Department acknowledged it was likely Americans were among the stranded. Many US and European airlines have stopped flying over Russia due to retaliatory bans following sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
