\n<\/p>\n
Coming home was Ms Francesca Khor, who was trying to locate her sister in the crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she finally caught sight of her, she raised her hands in a wave before the pair reunited in a tight hug. Ms Khor told CNA that she had gone to Dubai on Feb 25 for a business trip.<\/p>\n
Recounting her journey from Dubai to Muscat, Ms Khor said: \u201cI\u2019ve never been on a bus for that long \u2013 10 to 12 hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe logistics were very good. It was an all-hands-on-deck situation. There were so many people helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that although the missile attacks initially came as a shock, life continued relatively normally.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was precautionary when the alerts came on, but we were also quickly notified when everything was clear. So we were not fearing for our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a Facebook post, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was thankful that the flight had landed safely on Saturday night, and thanked officers from various Singapore agencies for making it happen.<\/p>\n
“Thanks also to our consular and embassy teams, the flight crew, and everyone who has been working round the clock to help Singaporeans return home safely,” he added.<\/span><\/p>\n The flight also carried citizens from Malaysia and South Korea on the remaining available seats, said MFA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “This reflects the spirit of solidarity during such times of crisis, just like how other countries helped Singaporeans return home in the past,” said the ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n Singapore will operate a second repatriation flight from Muscat on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n “Our thoughts remain with those whose loved ones have not yet returned,” said Mr Lee in a Facebook post.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “MFA will be mounting a second flight tomorrow and will continue reaching out to Singaporeans in affected areas, while also organising assisted overland trips for Singaporeans elsewhere in the Middle East.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Our officers are working hard under challenging conditions, to ensure the safety and security of Singaporeans.”<\/span><\/p>\n One person looking forward to that second repatriation flight is Ms Jamaila, who is waiting for her sister to arrive home on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her sister had already driven from Al Ruwais \u2013 where she lives with her husband \u2013 to Abu Dhabi and was continuing her journey to Muscat.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were very worried. My siblings and I are very close. They try to stay away from the windows because they can hear the missiles. The fear is real.<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel so safe here. We shouldn\u2019t take it for granted,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n