All Indian seafarers safe in West Asia region, 2,373 Indians returned from Iran: Govt

New Delhi, April 18 All Indian seafarers in the West Asia and Gulf region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours, the government said on Saturday.

DG Shipping has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 2,487 Indian seafarers so far, including 34 in the past 24 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.

“Port operations across India remain normal with no congestion reported,” according to an official statement.

Necessary measures have been put in place to safeguard Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region, by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

“The Ministry continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafare welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations,” it added.

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

“Updated advisories are being issued regularly, including information on local government guidelines, flight and travel situations and consular services and various welfare measures being undertaken to support our community. Indian Missions remain actively engaged with the Indian community including the various associations, organizations, professional groups, Indian companies and other stakeholders in the region,” it mentioned.

Flights continue to operate from countries where airspace remains open. Since February 28, around 10,68,000 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 110 flights expected today between UAE and India.

Flights continue to operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to destinations in India.

“The Embassy of India in Tehran has so far facilitated the movement of 2,373 Indian nationals from Iran to Armenia and Azerbaijan for onward travel to India, including 1,041 Indian students and 657 Indian fishermen,” said the ministry.

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