As flight operations to and from West Asia remain disrupted after the US and Israel’s attack on Iran, hundreds of Indians are stranded in Dubai and other key hub airports, with many of them taking to social media to appeal to the Indian government for assistance.
JD(S) MLC from Karnataka S L Bhojegowda and his family, Bengali actor Subhashree Ganguly along with her son, tourists and student groups are among those held up in Dubai.
More than 700 people from Madhya Pradesh, including two former MLAs, are stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to flight cancellations, an office-bearer of a travel agents’ outfit said on Sunday.
They had travelled to the UAE for tourism and business purposes, Amol Kataria, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India’s MP unit, said.
Kataria said former MLA and BJP leader Sanjay Shukla is among those stranded in Dubai.
“Due to the current international situation, our return to India today could not take place as Dubai airport was temporarily closed. We are receiving full cooperation from the Dubai administration and the Government of India. We will return to Indore as soon as the situation normalises,” Shukla’s post on social media said. He said that his elder son is also with him.
The BJP leader also posted a video on social media, in which he is seen pointing out of a window to the smoke billowing after an explosion a few kilometres away.
Following the attack by the US and Israel, Iran launched retaliatory military strikes targeting Israel and American military bases across the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
“The situation here has become bad. You can see that a bomb just exploded. All traffic has stopped. People here are being alerted and asked to stay in their rooms,” Shukla said.