Bengaluru: According to data released by the Karnataka government on Monday, at least 109 persons from Karnataka are stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain after the airspace closures in parts of West Asia following the February 28 attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

According to a report published by The Hindu, officials informed that 100 persons are currently stranded in the UAE, mainly in Dubai, while nine are in Bahrain after several countries issued NOTAMs, which disrupted international flight operations.

District-wise figures show Ballari accounts for 32 stranded passengers in the UAE which is followed by Bengaluru with 25 and Davanagere with nine. Chikkamagaluru has five affected persons. Kodagu and Vijayapura have four each. Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Raichur account for three each. Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Kalaburagi and Udupi have two stranded persons each, and one person is from Tumakuru.

Among those stranded in Bahrain, four are from Hassan, three from Udupi, one from Kodagu and one from an unspecified district, as reported by The Hindu.

Relief Commissioner and Principal Secretary to the Revenue Department (Disaster Management) Munish Moudgil, was quoted by The Hindu as saying that following directions from the Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister, the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) and all District Emergency Operations Centres (DEOCs) have been activated and are functioning round the clock.

He said details of the 109 stranded persons, received at the SEOC and DEOCs as of 10 am on March 2, have been forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi for further coordination.

The SEOC and DEOCs are regularly updating advisories issued by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian embassies and consulates in the affected countries. Embassy- and consulate-wise helpline numbers have been circulated through official channels.

Moudgil urged residents from Karnataka in the affected countries to follow local advisories, remain in contact with Indian missions and register on the Sarthi Sahayata portal. He said standard operating procedures for coordination of returning passengers at Indian airports would be issued once evacuation efforts are initiated by the Ministry of External Affairs. 

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Bengaluru (PTI): A 27-year-old techie allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself in her room at her residence here, reportedly distressed over an astrologer's prediction about her marriage, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on Friday at MEI Layout in Bagalagunte, they said.

The deceased, identified as Vidyajyoti, was in a relationship with a man from another caste. Both families had agreed to the marriage as per her wishes, police said.

Citing a preliminary inquiry, a senior police officer said her parents had recently consulted an astrologer, who allegedly predicted that there could be misunderstandings between the couple two years into the marriage, possibly leading to separation.

To avert this, the astrologer reportedly advised performing a nine-day ritual, which the family undertook, he said.

However, on the ninth day of the ritual, Vidyajyoti allegedly went to her room and died by suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan when her parents were not home, he added.

The incident came to light in the evening when she did not respond despite repeated knocks on the door. Her father later broke open the door and found her hanging, police said.

Bagalagunte police have registered a UDR (Unnatural Death Report) case, and further investigation is underway.