Bhatkal: Uttara Kannada district does not figure in the official list of Karnataka residents stranded in the Gulf amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, even as reports suggest that dozens of people from Bhatkal are currently stuck in Dubai.
According to official sources, the Karnataka government has received a list indicating that 109 residents from the state are stranded in the Gulf, including 100 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and nine in Bahrain.
The district-wise break-up of those stranded in Dubai includes 32 from Bellari, 25 from Bengaluru, two from Chikkaballapur, five from Chikkamagaluru, two from Chitradurga, three from Dakshina Kannada, two from Udupi, nine from Davanagere, two from Kalaburagi, three from Shivamogga, four from Kodagu, one from Tumakuru, four from Vijayapura and three from Raichur. The district details of three individuals have reportedly not been specified.
Among the nine persons said to be stranded in Bahrain, four are from Hassan, one from Kodagu and three from Udupi, while the district of one individual remains unspecified.
Notably, Uttara Kannada district is absent from the list. The omission has raised concerns, particularly as local sources in Bhatkal claim that around 50 residents who had travelled to Dubai on visit visas are currently stranded there. Many of them are reportedly facing visa expiry or nearing the end of their permitted stay and are anxious to return home.
Sources said nearly 300 people from Bhatkal are presently in Dubai on visit visas. Of them, about 50 are said to be seeking immediate return to India in view of the prevailing tensions in the region. However, flight cancellations have left them stranded. Reports of explosions being heard in parts of the city have further heightened anxiety among those awaiting an opportunity to travel back.
In this backdrop, the absence of any names from Uttara Kannada district in the official list submitted to the state government has triggered questions among families and community members, who are urging authorities to verify the details and extend necessary assistance to those affected.