India advisory on Iraq: Avoid non-essential travel

January 08, 2020 11:17

The Government of India has issued an advisory for travel to Iraq. "In view of the prevailing situation in Iraq, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notification. Indian nationals residing in Iraq are advised to be alert and may avoid travel within Iraq. Our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate in Erbil will continue to function normally to provide all services to Indians residing in Iraq," the MEA said in a release.

India also tells all Indian carriers to avoid airspace of Iran, Iraq and the Gulf following tension in the region.

This morning, a Ukrainian airplane carrying at least 170 people crashed Wednesday near an airport in Tehran, Iranian state TV reported.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport, the report said. The crash is suspected to have been caused by mechanical issues, it added, without elaborating.

An investigation team was at the site of the crash in southwestern outskirts of Tehran. State TV earlier said there were 180 passengers and crew aboard. The discrepancy could not be immediately reconciled.

Flight data from the airport showed a Ukrainian 737-800 flown by Ukraine International Airlines took off Wednesday morning, then stopped sending data almost immediately afterward, according to website FlightRadar24.

The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A photo later published by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency showed rescue officials in a farm field, with what appeared to be pieces of the aircraft laying nearby.

Image: The Ukrainian plane crashed hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting two bases in Iraq housing US forces in retaliation for the killing of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani. In the pic, lakhs gathered for the funeral of Soleimani, yesterday, leading to a stampede that left over 50 dead.

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