Top News

New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) All Indian seafarers in the Gulf and West Asia region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours, the government said on Sunday.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, through the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 2,084 Indian seafarers so far, including 75 in the last 24 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.

“Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported. The Ministry continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations,” according to an official statement.

The Shipping Control Room remains operational 24x7 and has handled 6,053 calls and more than 12,787 emails since activation. In the past 24 hours, 80 calls and 112 emails have been received, it added.

Across the region, Indian Missions and Posts remain in close contact with the Indian community, while continuing to provide assistance and issue necessary advisories for their safety and well-being.

The Ministry of External Affairs said it continues to closely monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region.

“Indian Missions and Posts continue to operate round-the-clock helplines and are proactively assisting Indian nationals. Updated advisories are being issued regularly, including information on local government guidelines, flight and travel situations and consular services,” it added.

“Our Missions remain actively engaged with Indian community associations, professional groups, Indian companies and other stakeholders in the region,” according to the ministry.

Flights continue to operate from countries where airspace remains open. Since February 28, around 8,97,000 passengers have travelled from the region to India.

In the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled commercial flights between the UAE and India based on operational and safety considerations, with around 95 flights expected today.

Flights continue to operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to destinations in India. With Qatar airspace partially open, Qatar Airways is expected to operate around 8–10 flights to India today.

“Iran airspace remains closed. We continue to facilitate the travel of Indian nationals from Iran, through Armenia and Azerbaijan to India,” said the ministry. Israeli airspace also remains closed. Travel of Indian nationals continue to be facilitated through Jordan and Egypt to India.

—IANS

na/