Survivor of French firing recalls nightmarish experience

Survivor of French firing recalls nightmarish experience

Mangalore Today News Network

Kundapur, April  2, 2013  :  Kolamage Udaya hailing from Haklady in Kundapur was one  among the six survivors  in the  firing by French troops outside the Bangui Airport which killed Krishnaiah Mogaveera of Hemmady in Kundapur. Udaya had even accompanied the body of Krishnaiah to his hometown.

 

 

 

Udaya even narrated the incident to the pressmen present on the occasion. Udaya  said he along with Krishnaiah and others had been to the airport on March 23 to enquire if there was any flight when the men on patrol asked them to return stating there were no flights to India. “ We then got in touch with Indian Consular in-charge  over phone and stayed in the consulate for a day as even our houses had been attacked,” he added.

Udaya said the next day after making sure that there was a plane departing to India, they with the help of an officer left for the airport in two vehicles having 15 Indians. “When we were just 800 meters away, the French troops on guard mistook us for rebels and opened fire. We were rushed to the hospital where along with Krishnaiah, another man from Nepal died due to non-availability of good treatment, Udaya recalled the incident with great pain.

A forlorn Udaya seems to be totally shattered and  yet to come out of the trauma