Five Indian workers from Tenkasi and Thoothukudi districts, who were abducted in Mali over 50 days ago, have appeared in fresh video messages sent to their families, confirming that they are alive. The videos, received on Tuesday, are the first proof of life since their kidnapping on November 6.Family members said the men appeared tense and fearful in the clips and alleged that the company which recruited them had not initiated any rescue efforts despite repeated appeals. The workers seemed to be reading from a prepared text, suggesting the messages may have been recorded under supervision.
The abducted workers were identified as Isakki Raja (36) and Thalapathi Suresh (26) from Tenkasi district, and Paechimuthu, Puthiyavan and Ponnuthurai from Kodiyankulam in Thoothukudi district. They were employed in electricity transmission and power line projects in the city of Kobri, where they were taken at gunpoint by an armed group.
Mali, currently under military rule, continues to face instability with several regions controlled by militant organisations, alongside economic hardship and fuel shortages.
Relieved yet anxious, families said the videos confirm the men are alive but in distress. They appealed to both the Tamil Nadu government and the Union government to intensify diplomatic efforts to secure their release. Earlier, the families had petitioned officials, and MP Kanimozhi raised the matter in Parliament, urging urgent intervention.