1971-12-06
By Associated Press
Page: 17
TEHERAN, Iran, Dec. 5 (AP) —The Pan American airliner carrying foreigners out of Karachi landed at Mehrabad Airport here today. Members of the party described the situation in Karachi as “fearful” and “horrible.”
A 41‐year‐old businessman, William Netlerode of Houston, said that Indian bombers were pounding Karachi day and night and added that the first air at tack came early Saturday morn ing and that raids continued until 3:30 this morning.
Another man said that at least 10 Indian planes bombed Karachi Saturday evening, setting fire to an oil storage depot and one tanker or oil barge. He added that “Karachi harbor was still ablaze.”
A school teacher who identified herself as Margaret Adler was weeping because she had become separated from her husband, who worked in Karachi as a maintenance engineer. She said he was called to a hospital during a raid early today and did not return in time to catch the plane.
A middle‐aged American housewife who, like most of the evacuees, left her husband be hind, said that sugar flour and gasoline were being rationed and inhabitants of Karachi were being refused kerosene. The shortage of fuel was forcing people to cook on wood fires, she added.
Some evacuees were reported heading for Teheran via Afghanistan by car, truck and bus, if they managed to get gasoline. Hundreds of Americans were still in Pakistan awaiting evacuation.
Apparently permitted by Karachi authorities to leave the country on the condition that they would not give out any military news, most evacuees refused to identify themselves.