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It’s nearly a month since the start of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon with many migrant workers there constantly queuing up at the airport to be evacuated to Sri Lanka.

Most of the workers, who are returning now are thankful of having had a narrow escape and are so traumatized to speak coherently of the chaos and the misery they witnessed.

For 50-year-old H. Agnes, coming back home was an unbelievable escape having witnessed the results of some devastating bombing in the South of Lebanon.

“I can’t believe I survived. There was no warning as the bombs started falling all over the place with a thundering noise. I told my madam that I want to leave but she refused to let me go. The bombs continued for few days and while I was praying I realized that my madam and family had gone away leaving me alone. I moved to the basement, as I had no place to go” she said.

Agnes was all alone in the dark basement with no food and water for some days. She was afraid to move out but somehow she made up her mind and with fear and worry moved out of the basement.

“It’s been a horror story. I saw bombs falling from planes on the building and with more bombs they collapsed with people inside. I saw people severly burnt falling from those buildings. I took refuge in the basement for a few more days and I don’t want to speak of those days,” she lamented.

She said while she was in the basement, the horror images of bomb blasts and how people died kept haunting her and suddenly there was a lull when she heard no bombing for some time.

“That was the day I moved out of the house which was by now partially damaged. I didn’t know which direction to go, but seeing some people walking I too joined them, and in a few minutes, a vehicle came and picked us up and dropped me at the Embassy,” Agnes said.

Twenty seven-year-old Deepani from Polonnaruwa received a good offer to work in Lebanon this year. She dreamt of building her own house with her savings but all that she brought from Lebanon was the frightening memory of walking many days to reach the Embassy.

“When the bombs were falling, I told madam that I want to go and took my passport with me. She refused to let me go and locked me in a room. I don’t know how long I was there as I lost count of time in the midst of bomb blasts. Many bombs went off closeby to where I was staying and the walls in my room started to quake and crack. I heard glasses and plates breaking in the house, but I couldn’t move. Somehow I jumped from my room and found myself on the road,” Deepani said.

She didn’t know which way to move, but kept on moving nevertheless while witnessing the worst scenes she had ever seen. “I saw a bomb fall on a refugee camp and people were burning. Bodies of children were strewn all over,” she wept.

“My feet were swollen and I didn’t feel any sensation in my feet. I kept walking and watching the horror. I never want to go to Lebanon again,” she wept.

Twenty three-year old Wijitha Weerasuriya had the same experience and she too escaped from her house soon as things began to go wrong.

“When bombs started to fall, everybody ran from my house. My passport was not with me and my things were in that house. But somehow I escaped from the house and joined some friends who were going through the same horror,” she said. A few days later, Wijitha saw her house being reduced to rubble on TV and she was glad she made the correct move and she has no idea of going to Lebanon again.

Many returnees said most of the Sri Lankans were trapped in the houses they worked in as they were unable to get out in time or were not allowed to do so by their employers.