Original Source
India's MEA Announces Efforts for Indian Nationals' Safety Amid 'West Asia Crisis'
Strengthening Safety of Indian Nationals and Local Cooperation
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that the well-being and safety of the Indian community residing in West Asia and the Gulf region remain its top priority. The MEA is continuously monitoring the current situation and maintaining close contact with host country governments. Indian missions are issuing regular travel advisories, sometimes twice a day, which include information shared by local governments. Host country governments are actively reaching out to Indian missions to provide information on the current situation and preventive measures.
Flight Status and Repatriation Support Efforts
The MEA is operating a dedicated control room to respond to numerous inquiries and is closely collaborating with all Indian State and Union Territory governments to share real-time information. Additionally, Indian mission helplines are operational 24 hours a day and are accessible through various media channels and social media applications. To date, approximately 130,000 Indian nationals have returned via non-scheduled commercial flights, and regular flights are operating from all airports in the United Arab Emirates. In Saudi Arabia, Air India and IndiGo will commence operations from Riyadh starting today. Kuwait and Bahrain are facilitating ease of travel through flights operating via Saudi Arabia and from Dammam, respectively.
Maritime Attack Incident and Warning Against Misinformation
Regarding today's attack on the vessel, MT Seafish Vishnu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed its deep condolences. The vessel was undergoing loading operations near Basra, at the Khor Al Zubair Port. Out of 28 crew members, 16 were Indian nationals. Tragically, one Indian national lost their life. Indian missions are in contact with the crew and their bereaved families and will continue to provide all necessary assistance. Asim R. Mahajan urged the media to exercise particular caution regarding the creation of misinformation and unreliable reports, emphasizing the importance of credible and authentic information.
*Source: YouTube: WION (2026-03-12)*
