All 2,376 tourists, including 12 foreign nationals, who were stranded at Havelock and Neil Islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been taken to safety in Port Blair, officials said on Saturday.
The evacuation mission was initiated at the request of the A&N Disaster Management ahead of a "cyclonic storm" that was likely to strike Havelock, an island 36 km from Port Blair.
Six ships of the Indian Navy along with two ships of the Indian Coast Guard and three Mi-17 V5 helicopters of the Indian Air Force carried out the rescue operation.
The six navy ships that took part in the mission are Karmukh, Kumbhir, Bitra, Baratang, LCU 27 and LCU 38.
The three IAF choppers carried out 14 sorties -- 11 from Havelock, and three from Neil island.
--IANS
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