Air India passengers stranded in Russia face chaos and confusion, battle inadequate food and toilets

The 216 passengers, including elderly and children, were transferred to various locations after the Air India flight, a Boeing 777, travelling from Delhi to San Francisco, suffered a technical glitch and was forced to make an emergency landing at Magadan, a remote town in east Russia.

They have been put up in makeshift accommodations, citing infrastructure limitations near the airport area.

Tushar Menon, who is among the AI173 passengers, took to Twitter to relate the plight of the passengers. Menon called it a "full-blown humanitarian crisis", adding that the condition was grave as a few co-passengers, some of them over 80, needed medical help. Food has been a major problem, especially for vegetarians, and sanitation facilities were not enough for the number of people in the facility.

The passengers, accommodated in a school, were provided with mattresses on the floor and blankets.

“Honestly, we are much more grateful to the Russian authorities here who arranged accommodation, food, water and sanitising facilities in the dead on night. They’ve been very cordial and accommodating. Our own people have failed us. Just a terrible experience,” Menon tweeted.

“We got white bread, butter, sausage, and buckwheat porridge-like thing. We also got something that resembled tea.”

Also, there were not enough mobile charging points, he said.

Another passenger, Girvaan Kaahma, 16, who was travelling with his brother and uncle to the US, said they are not allowed to leave the hostel where they have been accommodated. Also, they can’t use their credit cards to purchase items from the vending machine owing to US sanctions on Russia for Ukraine war, according to an Associated Press report.

A passenger, who spoke to NDTV over the phone, said, “There are over 230 people. Lots of children and older people. Our bags are still in the aircraft. We were sent on buses to different locations. Some people were sent to a school and are lying on mattresses on the floor. The toilet facilities are not right. Language is a barrier. The food here is very, very different. There's a lot of seafood and non-veg. Some people are just eating bread and soup. Older people running out of medicine.”

Despite the difficulties, Gagan said, "They (Russian authorities) have been nice. We have been lucky because we are in a college dorm. We just got Wi-Fi about an hour ago, so we have been able to be in touch with our families."

"There was an 88-year-old gentleman next to me on the flight. I don't know what people like him are going through. There is a lady with two infants. She had a really tough time. The food here is mostly non-veg. The authorities here are nice, but there is a language barrier. We are not allowed to move outside. We were told we would be on a flight by this time today," Gagan said.

On Wednesday, Air India said a substitute aircraft would be dispatched from Mumbai to transport the stranded passengers from Magadan to San Francisco.

The airline assured that the passengers were receiving necessary support at the location, including arrangements for their accommodation in nearby hostels and hotels.

The US State Department has confirmed its monitoring of the situation with Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel stating that it is probable that there are US citizens among the passengers on board the flight.

Russia's aviation authority has confirmed that it is conducting a technical inspection of the plane upon its arrival at Magadan airport. Further, they have granted permission for the alternate flight to land at the same airport.