Amidst gunfire people ran amok

Within seconds everyone in the vicinity was running —including those in booths selling entrance tickets — as ordered by gun — wielding men.

By Esther Williams

It was Thursday the 26th April, at 10.40 p.m., my husband and I were at the Bandaranaike International Airport at to receive my mother Ms. Katie Melanchthon, who was scheduled to arrive on UL 172 from Bangalore. Alighting at the arrivals section of the airport we were puzzled by what seemed to be the sound of fire crackers.

Within seconds everyone in the vicinity was running -including those in booths selling entrance tickets- as ordered by gun- wielding men.

People were running amok, –some to their cars, and some to the gates. There was no way that I was going to leave the compound with my mother still inside I thought. I like so many others was worried about a loved one caught inside the airport complex.

While we crouched on the damp ground around the security post, several things happened simultaneously. The gates were being closed, followed by the sound of sirens and trucks zooming past. Suddenly the entire area was plunged into darkness.

A look in the direction of the runway showed large red blobs of light, not too high, accompanied by the sound of missiles being fired, similar to those we see on TV. We remained there for about an hour scared to utter a word.

We presumed that another attack at the air force base was underway. The worst was being unable to connect to anyone on our mobile phones -We were asked to remain quiet and not use our phones!

By around 11.50 we knew that the danger had passed. The lights were switched on and officials went back to their booths. With phone connections restored people were speaking to friends and family and haltingly venturing back to the waiting area.

For the passengers who arrived earlier from Japan, Singapore, Chennai and Bangalore it was certainly stressful. My 70-year-old mother was in the queue for immigration when she heard the far from poised announcement asking everyone to go down immediately.

Some people began to panic when the lights were turned off and the escalators stopped functioning. Climbing down the steep staircase, my mother was grateful that she wasn’t pushed down in the rush.

“This is an emergency…..please follow instructions,” was the announcement they heard repeatedly. After the initial period of waiting in quiet, passengers began speculating and worrying. “Why did I have to come to Colombo to die,” was the thought in my mother’s mind.

Coming out after the long wait for their baggage the passengers looked tired yet relieved. Listening to them we got some idea of their ordeal. Some had to lain flat on the ground while others upstairs saw missiles being fired.“We panicked in there,” a passer-by said, thankful that he got out of it safe.