2,922 seafarers back so far, Indian-flagged vessels safe in Gulf region: Govt

New Delhi, May 2 The government on Saturday said it has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 2,922 Indian seafarers so far, including 30 in the last 24 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions, and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations.

“All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. DG Shipping Control Room has handled 8,335 calls and more than 17,838 emails since activation. In the past 24 hours, 67 calls and 144 emails have been received,” said the ministry in its regular update.

Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported.

The Ministry of External Affairs also continues to monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region, with focused efforts on ensuring safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region.

“Updated advisories are being issued including information related to local government guidelines, flight and travel situations, consular services and various welfare measures being undertaken for the community. Indian Missions are actively engaged with the resident Indian community. They are regularly interacting with the Indian community associations, organizations, professional groups, and Indian companies to address their concerns,” it mentioned.

The overall flight situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations in India. In the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited commercial flights between the UAE and India based on operational and safety considerations. Flights continue to operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to various destinations in India.

“Iraq airspace is open with limited flight operations to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India. Iran airspace is partially open for cargo and chartered flights. Indian nationals are advised to avoid travelling to Iran and those already there are urged to leave via land border routes, with Indian Embassy’s support,” informed the government.

So far, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has facilitated movement of 2,490 Indian nationals out of Iran through land border routes.

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