New

1971-12-12

BackHome

British Planes Begin Evacuating Foreigners From Dacca After Pakistan Lifts Bar

By United Press International

Page: 26

First of 3 Aircraft Lands In Calcutta Carrying 100

CALCUTTA, India, Sunday, Dec. 12 (UPI)—About 100 tired but happy people, mostly women and children, arrived in Calcutta today, the first foreigners to be evacuated from the embattled East Pakistan capital of Dacca by shuttle of three British cargo planes.

The first plane in the, airlift of more than 500 foreigners who were trapped in Dacca touched down at Calcutta's Dum Dum airport at 11 A.M.

The Pakistan Government reversed Itself and allowed the three Royal Air Force C‐190 hercules transports to land at Dacca after two unsuccessful attempts yesterday.

[In London, a Foreign Office spokesman said that 300 foreign civilians had been evacuated from Dacca by British aircraft Sunday, Reuters reported.]

The successful mercy flight came after three British and one Canadian aircraft were twice turned back by Pakistan yesterday during a cease fire, which had been negotiated to allow the planes to land. Pakistan refused the planes permission to land because they had taken off from Calcutta.

Negotiations in London



Authorities here said, however, that negotiations in London and Washington brought agreement during the night for an extension of the ceasefire.

A Royal Canadian Air Force C‐130 operating on behalf of the United Nations left Calcutta's Dum Dum airport this morning for Bangkok and authorities said it appeared the Canadians had given up hope of getting into Dacca.

More than 600 foreigners were reported in Dacca, including 70 Americans and 185 Britons. The nationalities of passengers aboard the camouflaged R.A.F. planes were not known, but British and United States diplomats were at Calcutta waiting for the planes to arrive.