Mumbai, March 2 Around 260 people from Maharashtra are stranded in the Middle East due to airspace closure caused by the Iran war, though all are safe, officials said on Monday.
Figures are being collected from more places across the state, the officials added.
Among those stranded in Dubai is Congress' 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.
He was scheduled to return via Abu Dhabi on March 3 but is now stuck in Dubai due to flight cancellations, Jagannath Kale said, adding the MP is safe and that there is nothing to worry about.
Nine other tourists from Jalna are also stranded in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two largest cities and business hubs of the United Arab Emirates, officials added.
As many as 84 students and four professors from Indira Institute of School of Business in Pimpri Chinchvad in Pune are stuck in Dubai after reaching the Gulf to attend the 'Global Immersion Programme', an official said. Another 10 tourists from Ganesh Peth in Pune are also stranded, he added.
A total of 61 people from Marathwada in Maharashtra are stuck in Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and Abu Dhabi due to closure of airspace following the joint US-Israel attack on Iran, an official said on Monday.
The 61, who have intimated the administrations of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Beed and Latur districts in Marathwada, are tourists, while some have gone to the Gulf for work and others possess resident visas, the official from the Divisional Commissionerate said.
"Details of those from Dharashiv district (also part of Marathwada) are yet to arrive. Nanded leads with 24 persons, followed by 12 from Latur, 10 from Beed, six each from Parbhani and Jalna, two from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and one from Hingoli," he informed.
A Thane official said 23 tourists from Shahapur are stranded in Dubai. They had gone as part of a package tour and were scheduled to return on February 28, though the start of the war on that day led to the plan getting cancelled, he added.
As per officials, 50 people from Solapur as well as 83 tourists from Kolhapur, who had gone to the Middle East through travel firms, are stranded. The figure has been provided by the Tours and Travel Association of Kolhapur district, they said.
A student from Raigad district, who studies at a management college in Dubai International Academic City, as well as a businessman from Dhule are stuck in the Middle East, officials said.
Authorities in Thane and Palghar districts have activated mechanisms and issued advisories as part of efforts to help those stranded in the Middle East due to the Iran conflict as well as their kin here, officials said on Monday.
In separate statements, Thane collector Shrikrishna Panchal and his Palghar counterpart Indu Rani Jakhar urged residents whose kin or friends are stranded in the Gulf nations due to closure of airspace since Saturday to maintain contact with official channels for safety updates.
The statements requested families here to provide details of their kin abroad to the district disaster management cells to ensure a streamlined flow of information from the embassies.
Amid escalating West Asia tensions, the Centre on Monday said it is in touch with Indian missions in the Gulf region to ensure safe return of stranded Indian nationals as state governments across the country stepped up efforts to assist such residents.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met last evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has expressed concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the Gulf nations.
The CCS directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments.
On Monday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Centre is fully prepared to bring back Indians stranded in the Gulf region and is in touch with Indian missions abroad to ensure their safety.
Flights have been affected since Saturday after the US and Israel carried out a joint strike on Iran, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has struck US bases in several Gulf nations, prompting airlines to cancel flights following closure of airspace.