New Delhi, Mar 21: Refuting reports that Indians in large numbers were awaiting evacuation at Kuwait airport in the wake of US-led military strikes on Iraq, India today said there was no cause for panic. "The Kuwait airport is open and all regular Air India and Indian Airlines flights are in operation," external affairs ministry spokesman told reporters. He said there was rescheduling of one Air India flight this morning. This included upgradation. Normally AI was flying an airbus but they changed it to 747 as it has a capacity of 400 passengers, he said. An Indian Airlines flight with 145-seat capacity is also leaving Kuwait tonight with 118 passengers opting to fly back home.


"There is no backlog of passengers at Kuwait airport," he said emphasising "there is no cause for panic".

He said 1,235 Indian nationals had arrived in India through the special flights from Kuwait. "People are coming back of their own volition. This is not evacuation".


The crisis management committee headed by R M Abhyankar, secretary in the external affairs ministry, held its third meeting today to review the evolving situation as also study the feedback from Indian missions in the region.

India's ambassador to Iraq P P Tyagi, who has moved to Amman, spoke to the local staff at the Indian Embassy in Baghdad and was told that the mission premises were "safe and secure".


While there are an estimated 3.5 million Indians in the Gulf region, in Kuwait alone there are about 3.50 lakh Indians.

Bureau Report