Pune, March 3 A drone attack near their hotel in Dubai and a sense of insecurity kept 23 tourists from the Kolhapur district on edge, but thanks to Indian and UAE authorities, the group safely landed in Mumbai on Tuesday and returned to their hometown.
The tourists said they arrived in Mumbai via an Etihad Airways flight.
"All 23 tourists from Hupari in the Kolhapur district have arrived in Mumbai. They have reached Kolhapur," said Prasad Sankpal, an official from the Kolhapur district disaster management cell.
The group, scheduled to fly back on February 28, faced uncertainty after widespread flight disruptions caused by the closure of airspace in the Gulf and cancellations due to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.
"We are fortunate that we could safely return to India. All the authorities in the UAE, representatives of the Indian authorities, and local leaders from Kolhapur helped us to return to Kolhapur," one of the tourists told reporters.
He said that there was a drone attack a few meters away from their hotel.
"Although the situation was a little tense, we were safe in our hotel during the conflict. Tour operators and local authorities helped us. We also followed all the rules and regulations in Dubai," he said.
The members of the group received a parting gift worth around Rs 25,000 from the UAE government, he said.