Over 52,000 Indians evacuated from Gulf amid West Asia war: MEA
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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported Saturday that over 52,000 Indian nationals returned home from the Gulf region between March 1-7, following the West Asia war's outbreak.
Of these, 32,107 flew on Indian carriers; the rest used foreign airlines.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has closely tracked developments, prioritizing stranded nationals on transit or short visits. Partial airspace reopening has enabled scheduled and extra flights.
"More flights are planned in the coming days to ensure that those still awaiting evacuation can return home safely," he added.
All Indians in the area must heed local authorities and Indian missions' advisories. Every affected embassy/consulate has issued detailed guidance with 24/7 helplines; MEA's New Delhi control room handles queries.
Full helpline details appear on MEA's website. Nationals lacking commercial flights should contact missions for nearest options.
"Complete details of all helplines have been made available on the ministry’s official website," Jaiswal stressed.
The late-February war erupted after Israel-US airstrikes in Tehran killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top IRGC officials. Iran's missile retaliation on Israel and U.S. Gulf bases drew in neighbors, disrupting energy, security, and Gulf stability—critical for India.
(Inputs from IANS)