At least 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have died in West Asia since the conflict in the region broke out this year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told Parliament on Thursday (July 30).
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh disclosed the figures in a written reply to CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, who had asked for data on Indians killed, injured, stranded or evacuated during the ongoing hostilities. The government said the deaths were spread across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and the UAE — with eight fatalities in Oman, four in the UAE, two in Kuwait, and one each in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Separately, the ministry said 75 Indian nationals were injured over the course of the conflict, including 32 in the UAE, 24 in Oman, 13 in Kuwait, four in Qatar, and one each in Saudi Arabia and Israel. In an unrelated incident, 12 Indian nationals also lost their lives in an accident at the Ras Laffan gas facility in Qatar — a tragedy the government clarified was not connected to the regional conflict.
According to the MEA, Indian missions abroad have worked closely with local authorities to support affected families, including arranging the repatriation of mortal remains and coordinating medical care for the injured. Embassies and consulates also liaised with hospitals, helped with travel arrangements, and facilitated communication between stranded or affected Indians and their families back home.
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For seafarers killed in conflict-linked incidents, the government provides ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh under the Seafarers’ Welfare Fund Society scheme, with additional compensation available through collective bargaining agreements with maritime unions. The MEA noted that payouts have already been processed in five of the 16 seafarer death cases. For the deaths at Ras Laffan, the government has sanctioned Rs 2 lakh per family from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
The ministry also said the Indian Embassy in Tehran has helped move 2,557 Indian nationals from Iran into Armenia and Azerbaijan for onward travel back to India since hostilities escalated in the region. The government estimates roughly 7,000 Indians remain in Iran, including students, workers, fishermen and seafarers, and has advised citizens to postpone travel to the country until the security situation stabilises.