Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: An Indian national died in Riyadh following recent developments on March 18, the Embassy of India in Saudi Arabia confirmed in an official statement.The mission confirmed it is in touch with the deceased’s family as well as local authorities, and is providing all necessary assistance. It also expressed condolences and said it is closely coordinating with Saudi officials regarding the matter.
“The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national in Riyadh due to recent events on March 18th.”“The Embassy is in touch with the family and local authorities. We remain committed to extending all possible assistance in this matter,” it added. The update comes amid continuing concerns involving Indian nationals in the region after Iran continued to launch missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours following Israel and US launched strikes on Tehran, with the Embassy of India in Saudi Arabia closely monitoring the situation and extending consular assistance as needed.Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs said that a total of six Indian nationals died and one remained missing in separate incidents across the Gulf region amid the West Asia conflict.The MEA said Indian missions were coordinating with local authorities for assistance and repatriation. Addressing the Inter-Ministerial Briefing, Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the MEA, Aseem R Mahajan, said Indian missions in multiple countries worked closely with authorities to locate the missing person and facilitate the return of the deceased to India.“Six Indian nationals have unfortunately lost their lives, and one is missing in various incidents. Our missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq and UAE are in regular touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for the early repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased Indian nationals to India,” Mahajan said.The travel situation from the Gulf region was gradually improving, with a significant number of passengers already returning to India, an MEA official said.“Situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region. Since February 28, around 300,000 passengers have returned from the region to India,” the MEA official said .According to the MEA, airlines from the United Arab Emirates were continuing to operate limited non-scheduled flights depending on operational and safety considerations.“From the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled flights based on operational and safety considerations. Today, again, around 90 flights are expected to operate from various airports in the UAE to India,” he added.
