We are sending ship with capacity of 1500 passengers to evacuate Indians in Yemen: Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: As the crisis in Yemen deepens, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday assured the nation that her ministry is following all routes to evacuate Indians stranded there.

Swaraj, who took to Twitter early today, wrote: We are doing everything to evacuate our people from Yemen at the earliest by all routes - land, sea and air.”

We are doing everything to evacuate our people from Yemen at the earliest by all routes - land, sea and air. @MeharVali — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 29, 2015

Yemen - We evacuated 80 Indians from Sanaa yesterday. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 29, 2015

Yemen - Today we got permission to fly from Sanaa for three hours a day. We will use this slot for evacuating our citizens every day. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 29, 2015

Yemen - In addition we are sending a ship with a capacity of 1500 passengers. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 29, 2015

Swaraj had yesterday informed that two ships have been sent to Yemen to rescue the Indians, including Malayalees, who have been stranded in that country.

But it was also informed that the ships would take five days to reach its destination. In such a situation, the possibility of airlifting the people were also being discussed, for which the Saudi Government was being approached.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy also spoke with several families of Keralites in Yemen over phone yesterday. Passports of most of them were being detained. The Indian Embassy in Yemen has intervened in this matter, the release said.

"If they don't get their passports, exit pass will be issued to them and will be brought back to India. They will be given another passport. Embassy has also intervened in the matter related with release of salary," the release said.

Quoting Chandy, the release also said all Malayalee families in Yemen were safe.

(With PTI inputs)