New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): Actor Esha Gupta, who was stranded in the United Arab Emirates amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, has safely returned to India.

Sharing her ordeal on social media on Tuesday, Esha expressed gratitude to both the Indian government and the UAE authorities for their support during the tense situation.

She penned a note which read, 'Back home. Thank you all for your prayers and wishes. It was very tough to be in the situation that we all were. Truly God's blessing to safe! It started when I was at the airport on the 28th(Sunday). By 1pm, the airport was closed, chaos all around as none of us knew what happened. Then the news started coming of the missile attack and no one knew what the next minute held for us. Strangers consoling each other, all calling their families back home (sic).'

'Here, I would like to mention that what I saw was strength of a country which is the UAE. We were at the Abu Dhabi airport. The ground staff and airport security immediately lunged to action and stayed calm throughout even though we were all in this situation together. I hadn't checked in myself by then so I took a turn and left back to my hotel in Abu Dhabi. Following are the stories that we heard first hand from the people we met later in our hotel that night,' she shared.

The full post can be read on her Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DVaQNHTCE7x/?hl=en&img_index=2

Meanwhile, several westbound international flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi were delayed due to the ongoing tensions in West Asia, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said in an official statement.

Delhi Airport issued an update on social media platform X, stating, 'Due to the ongoing political situation in the Middle East, several westbound international flights are causing delays or schedule adjustments. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight updates with their respective airlines before travelling to the airport.'

India is closely monitoring the evolving airspace situation in parts of the Middle East and its impact on international flight operations.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Indian carriers have undertaken calibrated adjustments to their schedules, with long-haul and ultra-long-haul operations being progressively resumed through alternative routings that avoid restricted airspace.

Special arrangements are being made to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers.

The US and Israeli strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in West Asia and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike. (ANI)