-
The Ministry of External Affairs has said it is working to assist affected Indians
-
It has also advised foreign nationals stranded in India to contact their nearest FRRO for visa-related support until normal services resume
Hundreds of Indian nationals remain stranded in the United Arab Emirates after military escalation in West Asia led to flight cancellations and temporary airport closures.
The disruption followed strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, which were met with retaliatory attacks across the region. Airports in major transit hubs, including Dubai and Sharjah, suspended operations, leaving travellers unable to return home.
At Dubai International Airport, two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu described tense scenes. “The ordeal continues to unfold, and the situation is becoming more frightening by the hour. A few hours ago, there was an explosion close to where we were holed up at the airport,” she wrote on social media. Sindhu and her coach were travelling to Birmingham for the All England Championships when flights were suspended.
Bengali actor Subhashree Ganguly and her son Yuvaan are also stuck in Dubai. Her husband, filmmaker and Trinamool Congress MLA Raj Chakraborty, said they are staying at a hotel in Palm Jumeirah. “There was an explosion near their hotel. The authorities have asked people not to step out,” he told PTI.
In Sharjah, Neeru Garg, principal of SSD Girls College in Bathinda, said she and her family are stranded without cash or essential medicines. Their IndiGo flight to Amritsar was cancelled after they had completed check-in formalities at Sharjah International Airport. She appealed to the Union government for urgent evacuation support, claiming there was no clear guidance on accommodation.
Eighty-four MBA students from Pune’s Indira School of Business Studies are also unable to return after airspace closures. The institute confirmed the students are safe and have been moved to a hotel.
