Escalating conflict: Prayagraj families panic as 128 relatives get stuck overseas

By Saturday evening, families of around 128 stranded residents had contacted the district administration for assistance.

A number of families in Prayagraj are anxious following the sudden escalation of conflict in West Asia, with relatives working in Gulf countries.

For representation only (WANA via REUTERS)

Missiles reportedly struck parts of Dubai and other Gulf nations after Iran retaliated against the US and Israel, leading to the suspension of air services and leaving many Indians unable to return home.

Among those stranded is Haider Naqvi of Preetam Nagar, who works as a consultant for a Gurugram‑based finance company. He had been sent to Dubai eight months ago and was scheduled to return on March 3. His wife, who is also with him in Dubai, has been unable to travel due to the shutdown of flights.

Harshit Srivastava of Jhalwa, employed with a multinational company in Qatar, is also stuck. His father, Sanjay Srivastava, contacted the district administration’s control room seeking help.

Similarly, Lal Chandra Gupta from Handia said his son Pawan Kumar Gupta, who works in Dubai, wants to come home but currently has no way out.

In Muirabad locality, Frederick Richard reached out to the control room to register concerns about his son, Rishabh Hansi, who is working in Bahrain. While many residents are alone, others are stranded with their families, including small children.

By Saturday evening, families of around 128 stranded residents had contacted the district administration for assistance. According to ADM (finance & revenue) Vinita Singh, the nodal officer for the control room, the helpline is receiving an average 15 calls daily from distressed families. She said the administration is collecting essential details—names, contact numbers, and current location abroad—and uploading them on rahat.nic.in so further action can be taken.

She added that the highest number of cases reported so far are from Saudi Arabia. Two district residents have also been reported studying in Spain.

Most of those stranded had gone abroad for employment, although the administration does not yet have data on how many children or medical travellers are among them.

Residents can report information about family members stranded in conflict‑affected West Asian countries by calling the district administration’s landline numbers 0532‑2641577 and 0532‑2641578, or mobile numbers 9454417588 and 7524921390.

According to official data, two residents are stuck in Abu Dhabi, 11 in Bahrain, 20 in Dubai, three in Iran, two in Israel, 10 in Kuwait, four in Oman, six in Qatar, two in Spain, two in Malaysia, 55 in Saudi Arabia, etc.