AMMAN: A group of about 120 Indian nurses evacuated from Iraq failed to arrive at the Jordanian border post Jan 23rd amid reports of a total or partial closure of the border by the Iraqi authorities.
By late Wednesday there was no sign of the group at the Al Ruweished border 350 kilometer’s “northeast of Amman officials said.
But there has been no flow of evacuees from Iraq said United Nations officials here.
Indian Ambassador Gajendra Singh said Wednesday that embassy officials were waiting at the border post but had no idea as to when the group would arrive.
Earlier security sources said there were indications that the Iraqi authorities had closed the border.
However several television crew members who’ were at the Jordanian post said very few people had crossed over until noon Wednesday when all journalists were asked to leave the area. According to one official no fuel is available in Iraq after the country’s refineries were badly hit in air attacks and it would be difficult to get transportation to the border from Baghdad.
Iraq announced Wednesday it was suspending sales of all fuel oil to the public for a short period.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 1, 1991
