Iran conflict: Maharashtra govt launches helpline for citizens stranded in Middle East

Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has launched an emergency WhatsApp helpline for hundreds of state residents stranded in the Middle East amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, officials said on Tuesday.

According to officials, several hundred people from Maharashtra are stranded in the Middle East due to airspace closure caused by the Iran war, though all are safe.

The Chief Minister's office, in a post on X, said that CM Devendra Fadnavis is personally monitoring the situation and is in constant contact with various agencies.

He is also coordinating regularly with the Central government, which is extending all possible assistance, while Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan has been tasked with coordination efforts.

The CMO further stated that the state government, in coordination with the Indian People's Forum in Dubai, has issued a WhatsApp helpline number +971 50 365 4357 for stranded citizens who require assistance.

US President Donald Trump has said that the heavy and pinpoint bombing of Iran would continue through the week or as long as necessary.

In the wake of the situation, many airspaces in West Asia have been closed, causing massive flight disruptions and leaving passengers stranded.

Figures of stranded citizens are being collected from more places across Maharashtra, officials have said.

Among those stranded in Dubai is the Congress's Jalna Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Kale, who had gone there on Friday, just a day before the joint US-Israel strike in Iran, his brother Jagannath Kale said. PTI MR ARU