A Trip That Took a Sudden Turn
What began as a regular travel day quickly turned into something far more dramatic for a Singaporean woman and her two friends. The trio had spent weeks travelling across Istanbul, Syria, and Lebanon, and were preparing to fly home on 28 February.
But on the morning of their flight, her phone began lighting up with messages.
“War broke out,” some said, while others warned that airspace might close.
Bombs Nearby
In the early hours of the next day, the situation reportedly became even more tense. According to her post, at around 2:50am, she woke up to the sound of bomb blasts nearby.
After checking the news, she realised that Lebanon had officially entered the war, fuelling a fear that made sleep impossible.
The group ate suhoor, packed their bags and continued checking flight updates, unsure if their departure would even happen. When they checked out of their hotel, locals were rushing inside looking for shelter while staff members appeared visibly stressed.
A Race to the Airport
According to her post, their airport transfer never arrived. When they finally managed to reach the driver, he appeared with a duffle bag and a box in the car, leaving no space for passengers, and he drove away soon after.
The traveller later said she could not blame him — the driver seemed frightened by the situation unfolding around them. Eventually, another driver agreed to take them, and sped through the roads to ensure they would not miss their flight.
When they arrived at the airport, the atmosphere was tense, and military personnel had been deployed. The terminal was almost empty.
A Flight Out
After several failed attempts to find flights elsewhere — including routes through Athens, France, Netherlands, Cairo, and even Ethiopia — the only ticket they managed to secure was to Jeddah. Singapore could be figured out later, she shared.
A few hours later, their plane landed safely.
Somewhere They Never Expected
After resting in Jeddah, the group went somewhere they had never imagined visiting on this trip: they travelled to Makkah. The moment felt deeply emotional for her, and it was as if, she said, she had been invited to seek shelter in a place of safety.
Looking back, she remembered making a prayer years earlier, hoping to perform Umrah during Ramadan. It felt as though that very prayer was finally answered.
From Fear to Relief in 24 Hours
Reflecting on the experience, she said the shift happened in less than a day. While one moment, they were waking up to the sound of bombs, hours later, they found themselves standing in one of the most sacred places in Islam.
Despite feeling grateful, she also said the experience left her with a sense of heaviness, and seeing what people in Lebanon were going through made it difficult not to feel a form of survivor’s guilt. She asked viewers to keep those affected by the conflict in their prayers.
Safely Back in Singapore
The three travellers eventually made their way home from Jeddah and arrived back in Singapore by 6 March. The woman later shared the experience in a social media post that has since drawn attention online.
The post was shared by Singaporean TikTok user @salam.future.me on 11 March.
Singapore Deploys Evacuation Flights
Singapore has also been carrying out evacuation efforts to bring its citizens home from the region. According to reports, on 13 March, a second evacuation flight operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force arrived in Singapore from Jeddah, carrying 81 Singaporeans and their dependents.
Among them were 42 students returning from Jordan, some of whom had experienced frequent sirens and missiles before leaving. Reports state that the Singapore Armed Forces has so far brought back 299 Singaporeans through two repatriation flights from the Middle East.
After prioritising Singaporeans who had registered for evacuation, remaining seats on the aircraft were also offered to citizens from Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
Find the original post here.
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