Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has conveyed her optimistic expectations that Barbados’ primary airport will resume operations within six to 12 hours, allowing the Indian cricket team and other stranded visitors a brief window to depart the hurricane-battered island. This development comes amid the island’s efforts to cope with a severe category 4 hurricane that has led to lockdown-like conditions since Sunday, June 30.
Mottley highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that the flights need to become operational by Tuesday, July 2, due to the incoming threat of another hurricane expected to hit on Wednesday. “I don’t want to speak in advance of it, but I’ve literally been in touch with the airport personnel and they’re doing their last checks now and we want to resume to normal operations as a matter of urgency,” Mottley informed the Press Trust of India (PTI).
She further elaborated on the coordination efforts being undertaken to ensure the safe departure of various groups affected by the turmoil, including the Indian cricket team, their families, BCCI officials, and support staff. “There are a number of people who were due to leave last night late or today or tomorrow morning. And we want to make sure that we can facilitate those persons, so I would anticipate that within the next six to 12 hours that the airport will be open,” she added.
The island has been grappling with adverse conditions since the arrival of tropical hurricane Beryl on Sunday evening. The hurricane, characterized by its strong winds and life-threatening storm conditions, has left a significant impact on Barbados, home to a population of approximately three hundred thousand people. Despite the coastal damage, Mottley assured the public that swift actions are being taken to mitigate the effects and restore normalcy.
“We were very blessed that the storm did not come on land,” the Prime Minister revealed, stating that the hurricane had remained 80 miles south of the island, which limited the level of damage onshore. “But as you can see, we’ve had coastal, infrastructure and coastal assets have been badly damaged.
. It could have been a lot worse, but now is the time to do the recovery and the cleanup,” she concluded.
This recent series of events has attracted international attention, especially in India due to the imminent departure and arrival plans of their national cricket team. The team is poised to leave Barbados on Tuesday morning, July 2, and is expected to arrive in Delhi by July 3. The cricket contingent, including their families, officials, and Indian journalists, will be greeted and felicitated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a date that remains to be confirmed.
Mottley expressed her solidarity with the Indian contingent, acknowledging that while their stay on the island has been tumultuous, the triumph at the T20 World Cup might provide some solace. “I’m hopeful that their victory and the happiness derived from it might compensate amid the gloom brought by the natural disaster,” Mottley noted.
In the ensuing hours, all efforts are concentrated on reopening the Barbados airport and facilitating swift evacuations. While the island continues to reel from the immediate damages—it faces threats of more storms and further complications—efforts by the government and relevant authorities aim to ensure public safety and the rapid restoration of essential services.
Related news indicates multiple prominent moments in Indian cricket during this challenging period, notably Harmanpreet Kaur’s historical captaincy milestone and the viral post from Rohit Sharma’s mother featuring Virat Kohli, evidencing strong emotional support enjoyed by the players.
Overall, the collaborative resolution of allowing affected persons to depart and preparing the island for subsequent threats underscores a community’s resilience and a government’s proactive steps towards comprehensive disaster management. The coming days will witness whether these measures sufficed, with the hopes pinned on minimal disruptions for everyone involved, from local islanders to international visitors.
