Representational image
Pune: A drone attack near their hotel in Dubai and a sense of insecurity kept 23 tourists from Kolhapur district on tenterhooks, but thanks to Indian and UAE authorities, the group on Tuesday, February 3, landed safely in Mumbai and returned to their hometown.
The tourists said they landed in Mumbai via an Etihad Airways flight.
“All the 23 tourists from Hupari in Kolhapur district landed in Mumbai. They have reached Kolhapur,” said Prasad Sankpal, an official from the Kolhapur district disaster management cell.
The group, scheduled to fly back on February 28, faced uncertainties after widespread flight disruptions caused by the closure of Gulf airspace and cancellations due to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.
“We are blessed that we could come back safely to India. All the authorities back there in the UAE, representatives of Indian authorities, and the local leaders from Kolhapur helped us to come back to Kolhapur,” one of the tourists told reporters.
He said that there was a drone attack a few metres away from their hotel.
“Though the situation was a little tense, we were safe in our hotel during the conflict. Tour operators and local authorities helped us. We also followed all the rules and regulations in Dubai,” he said.
The members of the group received a parting gift worth around Rs 25,000 from the UAE government, he said.
This post was last modified on March 3, 2026 6:03 pm