Riyadh, Oct 16: Two of the several Indian nationals injured in the October 10 attack on Riyadh airport remain in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said on Friday. It mentioned further that one more Indian national is in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) while three others are in a normal ward.
The update came in a fresh advisory issued by the Embassy, which said that Riyadh’s international airport remains closed to flight operations, while Dammam, Jeddah and Medina airports remain operational, although some disruptions continue. “In view of the prevailing situation, Indian nationals should continue following instructions by local authorities, stay indoors in case of aerial attack, and refrain from filming, publishing, or sharing any information, photos, or videos related to the ongoing events,” the advisory stated.
According to the Embassy, Indian carriers have extended the suspension of flights to and from Saudi Arabia, with Air India and Air India Express suspending operations on all routes until October 20 and IndiGo until October 24. Akasa Air has suspended its flights to Riyadh until October 24 and to Jeddah until October 21.
Saudia continues to operate scheduled flights to Indian destinations from Dammam, Jeddah and Medina, while Flynas is operating scheduled flights on the Dammam-Lucknow sector and Flyadeal has announced the launch of Dammam-Mumbai flights for October 17-18, it added. Indian nationals requiring urgent departure may consider transiting via Bahrain, Kuwait or Qatar, subject to obtaining the necessary visas, the Embassy said.
“Indian nationals planning to travel to Saudi Arabia, including for Umrah, are advised to take into account the ongoing disruptions at Saudi airports and the possibility of flight cancellations, which may result in extended stays,” it stated. On Thursday, in a video message to the Indian community in the wake of the recent attacks, India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Vipul, said India had condemned the attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure in the country.
He said the Embassy had started helplines for Umrah pilgrims who had faced inconvenience, and asked those planning to travel to Saudi Arabia from India to keep possible disruptions in mind. “In the current situation, all of us have to remain calm and alert. Especially in case of an aerial attack, we have to remain indoors,” Ambassador Vipul said, adding that sharing any photo or video of the attacks was against Saudi law and could cause problems.
IANS