Doomsday cult deportees reach homeland

A Belarusian family deported from Russia's Penza Region have arrived home. They were linked with a doomsday cult that believes the world is coming to an end. The family of six, inluding three children, were staying at a prayer house in a small Penza Regio

A court in Penza ruled in favour of the deportation, which was later confirmed by Belarusian officials.

The family were from the Zhabinka district of the Brest region. 

“The State paid for the train tickets for the six residents,” Belarusian officals said.

Police arrived at the house in Penza in the early hours of Tuesday morning and took them away.

Bunker mentality

Six other Belarusians are among around 30 other people still holed up in an underground bunker in the same area.  The religious fanatics are waiting for the end of the world.

They are threatening to blow up the bunker if the authorities try to get them out.

The deported Belarusians are part of the same doomsday sect.  They were unable to join their colleagues underground because they arrived in Penza too late.

The Penza region authorities believe the cult leader Petr Kuznetsov, who is currently held in the local mental hospital, is now the only person who could convince the cult members to leave the bunker or at least let the children go.