Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has organized two planes to repatriate 164 state residents who are stuck in the United Arab Emirates due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, his office announced on Tuesday.
The state government has introduced an emergency WhatsApp helpline for numerous residents stuck in the Middle East.
According to a statement from Shinde's office, two flights are scheduled to depart from Fujairah Airport at 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM, with an expected arrival in Mumbai later in the evening.
The group of 164 passengers comprises 84 students from the Indira School of Business Studies in Pune, along with residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar, and Pune, according to the statement.
Since the conflict in West Asia began on Saturday, the deputy chief minister has been in contact with those who are stranded.
Officials report that several hundred individuals from Maharashtra are currently stuck in the Middle East because of airspace closures resulting from the conflict in Iran, but all are confirmed to be safe.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated that CM Devendra Fadnavis is personally overseeing the situation and maintaining regular communication with different agencies.
He is in constant communication with the Central government, which is providing all necessary support, while Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan has been assigned to manage coordination efforts.
The Chief Minister's Office announced that the state government, in collaboration with the Indian People’s Forum in Dubai, has launched a WhatsApp helpline at +971 50 365 4357 to aid stranded citizens in need of help.
President Donald Trump of the United States has announced that the intense and precise bombing of Iran will persist throughout the week or for as long as needed.
Following the situation, numerous airspaces in West Asia have been shut down, leading to significant flight disruptions and leaving passengers stuck.
Officials have reported that data on stranded citizens is being gathered from additional locations throughout Maharashtra.
Kalyan Kale, the Congress MP from Jalna Lok Sabha, is among those stuck in Dubai. He traveled there on Friday, a day prior to the joint US-Israel attack in Iran, according to his brother Jagannath Kale.