India is exploring land routes to evacuate its citizens from Sudan's battle-torn capital, sources have told NDTV.
Violence broke out in the capital and across Sudan on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle.
As the airport is not functional, sources say, safe land routes are being looked at, especially for those stuck in areas of intense fighting in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
Indian Embassy personnel will stay put as of now so as to be able to coordinate and assist in the operation, the sources added.
More than 150 people from various nations reached Saudi Arabia a day earlier, in the first announced evacuation of civilians. Other than Saudis, it had nationals from 12 other countries, including India.
Foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move.
AdvertisementIn Khartoum, a city of five million, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes, with power largely off amid sweltering heat and the internet cut for most, reported news agency AFP.
The UN World Health Organization said more than 420 people had been killed and over 3,700 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death count is thought to be higher.
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