Aftershock: Return to class, Indian students in China told

Thu, May 22 01:15 AM

FROM THURSDAY, classes will resume for the Indian medical students in Chengdu who have been afraid to return to their dormitories since a strong earthquake struck Sichuan in southwest China last week. Officials from the Indian embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Guangzhou visited the students on Wednesday.

"Our officials met the students and found them safe,'' a spokesperson said. "They are being looked after.

'' But three students of the Sichuan University told HT they wanted to return home. "We may skip the June examinations and go back to India soon,'' said a third-year student of medicine from Andhra Pradesh, requesting anonymity.

"There was an aftershock even this morning.'' The number of dead and missing from the earthquake stood at more than 73,000 on Wednesday, but Chengdu - the capital of Sichuan province - was trying to move on.

Pradeep Gomes, manager of Tandoor restaurant in Chengdu, told HT that they had remained open after the quake. "We spent Monday night outdoor this week, panicking about aftershocks,'' he said.

"But my four Indian staff and I are fine.'' Students said they had been told to resume studies.

An embassy official said exams couldn't be rescheduled just for Indian students. Thousands of aspiring Indian doctors have flocked to Chinese universities since 2003, due to low tuition fees of an average $2,000-3,000 dollars per year for an MBBS degree not recognised in India.

There are over 6,000 Indian students in China, mainly studying medicine, according to a January report of the state-run China Daily.

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