The Pune district administration announced on Wednesday that 111 residents, including students stranded in Dubai due to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran military conflict, have returned safely. Among those who returned were 80 students and four faculty members from the Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies (ISBS).
A total of 184 residents from Pune district were stranded in the United Arab Emirates, and authorities are continuing efforts to bring back the remaining travellers. Flight schedules of 19 Pune residents still in Dubai have been rescheduled, while arrangements for the remaining 54 residents are underway, said District Collector Jitendra Dudi.
Special flights for stranded travellers
In addition to Pune residents, a total of 164 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in the UAE due to the ongoing West Asia conflict were brought back through two special flights arranged by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, according to a Shiv Sena official. These flights landed at Mumbai International Airport on Tuesday night and included travellers from Pune, Thane, and Ahilyanagar districts who were visiting the UAE when the conflict erupted over the weekend.
Dr Janardhan Pawar, Dean at Indira University, expressed gratitude to both the Centre and Maharashtra government for ensuring the safe return of ISBS students and faculty members from Dubai.
Safety advisories for Indians in West Asia
Flight operations to and from most West Asian airports have been disrupted since Saturday due to the conflict, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. In response, the Centre and Maharashtra government have issued advisories to ensure the safety of Indian citizens residing abroad.
Indian nationals in Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, and the UAE have been urged to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary travel, and strictly follow instructions from local authorities and Indian embassies. In case of emergencies, citizens can contact the 24×7 helpline numbers of the respective Indian embassies, which are actively monitoring the situation.
The Maharashtra government has appealed to residents from the state living abroad to maintain patience and rely only on official information. For assistance within Pune district, citizens can contact the District Disaster Management Control Room at 020-26123371/26133522, Dudi added.
