Coronavirus lockdown: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood airlifts 177 Odia girls from Kerala

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Mumbai - The actor airlifted the girls who were stuck in Kerala due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

By PTI

Published: Fri 29 May 2020, 3:45 PM

Last updated: Fri 29 May 2020, 6:04 PM

Actor Sonu Sood on Friday came to the rescue of 117 girls as he helped them reach home in Odisha.
The actor airlifted the girls who were stuck in Kerala due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

According to a source close to the actor, Sood was informed about the group of girls by a close friend from Bhubaneswar and he decided to help them.

AirAsia says it flew 167 migrants from Kochi to Bhubaneswar in collaboration with @sonusood. ?? pic.twitter.com/ZtLRBQDfwO
- Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) May 29, 2020

"The actor started the process by taking several permissions from the government to have Kochi and Bhubaneswar airports opened. A special aircraft has been called from Bangalore to airlift these 177 girls from Kochi who will be now taken to Bhubaneshwar so they can finally reunite with their families.

"The flight duration from the village to Bhubaneswar is going to be two hours and soon after finishing their journey, the girls will be heading back home," the source told PTI.

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik took to Twitter to thank Sood for his "noble efforts".

Thank u so much sir. Your words inspire me to work harder. Will continue working for the migrant brothers and sisters till we unite them with their families ?? Honoured. https://t.co/fmZjfCfAqH
- sonu sood (@SonuSood) May 27, 2020

"@SonuSood Ji, your helping the Odia girls to return safely from Kerala is commendable. Kudos to your noble efforts. It's incredible to see how you are helping the needy reach their homes safely. More strength to you," Patnaik wrote on Twitter.

The actor along with his friend Neeti Goel have won hearts of millions of Indians with their 'Ghar Bhejo' initiative.

"People don't want to see @SonuSood as a villain any more because he is the real-life hero" - Watch Sonu's lovely reaction to this comment.#SonuSoodKaHungama
YT: https://t.co/YJ2JV4mC6K pic.twitter.com/xFyrC9nLd8
- Faridoon Shahryar (@iFaridoon) May 27, 2020

Thank you so much for your kind words sir. You have always a been an inspiration for me. I promise to make our our fellow punjabis proud. ?? https://t.co/2R9dpS0zGW
- sonu sood (@SonuSood) May 28, 2020

Thank u so much my brother ???? You are an awesome artist ?? https://t.co/2DMAv3UsK6
- sonu sood (@SonuSood) May 29, 2020

Sood facilitated several buses for workers stuck in Mumbai due to the coronavirus-forced nationwide lockdown. The actor has transported workers to far off states such as Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand and UP.

Recently, the actor launched a toll free helpline to help migrants in reaching home.