Scariest 800m walk to safety for Malaysian stranded in Sudan

 

Inaaci Dass, 58, took a harrowing 800-metre dash for safety in Khartoum, Sudan, to reach embassy staff who brought him to safety.

SEPANG: What should have been a leisurely 800 metre walk, became a life-threatening race for 58-year-old Malaysian businessman Inaaci Dass trying to get to safety amidst intense fighting between military factions in Khartoum, Sudan.

On a business trip there, he was stranded for six days in his apartment when violence broke out in Khartoum on April 15.

Inaaci Dass.

Inaaci could only hear the sounds of gunfire and bomb blasts around him. “There was a blackout for four days. It was a horrible experience because the bombing and shooting was just next to me and non-stop. You don’t know what’s going on out there,” he said on arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

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He was among the 30 Malaysians who returned home after being stranded by the fighting in Sudan for two weeks.

He said that on the second day of his trip, “I found out that an Indian expat in the building got shot by a stray bullet while standing on the balcony.”

He started to fear for his life, and immediately contacted the Malaysian embassy in Khartoum. Embassy staff were more than happy to help, but were faced with the obstacle of getting to him, he said.

Inaaci was staying at an apartment across the Nile River, roughly a 45-minute drive from the Malaysian embassy.

After a lengthy discussion, the embassy said they would wait for him at a petrol station 800 metres away.

“It was really scary because the shootings and bombings were ongoing. It was a 50/50 decision. If I stayed, I could get shot while in the building or it could collapse because of the bombings. Or I could walk that 800m to safety,” he said.

Inaaci ultimately decided to take that risk. After packing his things, he said a little prayer and braved the walk to the petrol station.

Fortunately, he made it to the embassy and breathed a sigh of relief as he felt a sense of comfort knowing he was among other Malaysians.

A tight embrace and massive relief for Teressa Goh at KLIA on the return of her husband Jimmy Tang from Khartoum, Sudan.

Jimmy Tang, also on a business trip to Khartoum, recounted how he was abruptly woken up by the sounds of gunfire and bomb blasts.

A father of two, his only thoughts were about his family and his need to get home safely. “There was a lot of bombing, especially at night. I would just stay in the corner of my hotel to keep safe,” said the 38-year-old.

His wife, Teressa Goh was overcome with emotion on greeting him with a tight embrace as he arrived at KLIA.

“Two weeks I hadn’t slept because I was worried. I kept contacting Wisma Putra for updates and they were amazing in their response. I’m so grateful,” she said with a quiver in her voice.

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Farahah Rosny (left) and her mother (right) with her nephew and niece who just arrived from Sudan.

Similarly, Farahah Rosny and her mother were at KLIA anxiously awaiting the arrival of her sister, her brother-in-law, a diplomat at the embassy in Khartoum, and their three children.

“When we found out the conflict had heightened, we couldn’t breathe. We also had no way of reaching them,” she said. They found out on the news only yesterday that the family had safely reached Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“We were very relieved but we won’t be at ease until we see them. I want to hug them desperately,” she said with tears in her eyes. - FMT