Hundreds of US-bound passengers have been left STRANDED in a small Siberian town after their flight was forced to make an emergency landing.
Hoping to get to San Francisco, the passengers instead find themselves in the remote Russian port town of Magadan forced to sleep on thin mattresses in local classrooms.
The Air India flight left from Delhi on Tuesday with 232 people on board but developed technical difficulties with one of the engines.
The captain made the decision to make an emergency landing and the plane was diverted to Magadan.
After safely making the landing, Air India said local authorities extended "all cooperation and support upon the flight's arrival."
Despite the airline dispatching a plane to pick up the stranded passengers, many of the beleaguered travellers had to be put up in a "makeshift accommodation".
A statement from the airline read: "Given the infrastructural limitations around the remote airport, we can confirm that all passengers were eventually moved to a makeshift accommodation, after making sincere attempts to accommodate passengers in hotels locally with the help of local government authorities."
It continued: "As we do not have any Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to the passengers is the best possible in this unusual circumstance."
On Wednesday the airline announced a replacement flight had been dispatched and was expected to land 3.30pm local time on Wednesday, June 6.
Sharing video of the fresh flight taking off, the airline said a team was onboard the flight to "provide any support that the passengers and staff at GDX may require."
They added: "The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to a sufficient amount of food to cater to all passengers on the onward flight scheduled from GDX to San Francisco."
The aircraft is expected to take the passengers to San Francisco on Thursday.
Girvaan Singh Kahma, 16, was travelling on the flight with his uncle and brother. He said they are barred from leaving the hostel where they are staying in Magadan and can’t use their credit cards to buy things because of sanctions over Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“The first day and a half was really hard for all of us,” he said. “The weather went to 3 to 4 degrees (Celsius) in the morning, and in the night it was bitter cold,” he said, adding that it was getting better with food and a place to sleep.
“The Russian soldiers, the Russian police, the authorities, everyone working in the hostel has been treating us extremely well,” he said.
India’s civil aviation minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, told reporters: “That plane needs to be repaired, mechanics are going on board.
“I don’t know how long it will take to repair that aircraft but passengers will be taken to their ultimate destination.”
In a US State Department briefing on Tuesday, principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said it was "likely" that there were Americans involved.
One stranded passenger told Indian broadcaster NDTV there were many US citizens worried due to the tensions between Russia and the United States.
The passenger said: “There are a lot a nervous people here."
Many US and European airlines have stopped flying over Russia after a ban was issued in retaliation for sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
Video shared on social media appears to show passengers sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor of a classroom.
Responding to a tweet sharing the video, the airline said: “We understand the situation."
