New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): The mortal remains of two of the five Indian nationals who lost their lives amid the conflict in West Asia have been brought back to India, while efforts are underway for the early repatriation of the mortal remains of other three, a government official said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem Mahajan, underlined that the safety and the wellbeing of the Indian community continues to remain the highest priority.

He made the remarks during the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on recent developments in West Asia.

'The mortal remains of the two Indian nationals who unfortunately lost their lives in the incident in Sohar city in Oman have been received by the families in Jaipur today. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,' the MEA official said.

He said that the embassy remains in regular contact with the hospital authorities and the company to monitor the condition of the injured Indian nationals and that none of the Indian nationals is reported to be seriously injured.

Sharing the update on the incident involving 'Safesea Vishnu,' which took place off the coast of Iraq in Basra, the MEA Additional Secretary said that the Indian mission team is on the ground to assist the early return of the 15 Indian crew members of the vessel who have been safely evacuated and are currently residing in a hotel in Basra.

'They are also coordinating with the concerned Iraqi authorities for the early repatriation of the mortal remains of the Indian national who unfortunately lost his life in the incident', he said.

The oil tanker Safesea Vishnu was attacked off Khor Al Zubair port near Basra in Iraq on March 9 inside Iraq's territorial waters. In a press conference on March 13, Aseem Mahajan had informed that one crew member had died and the other 5 crew members had been safely evacuated and lodged in a hotel in Basra.

Meanwhile, in today's briefing, Mahajan added, 'Five Indian nationals have unfortunately lost their lives, and one is missing in earlier incidents. The mortal remains of two Indian nationals from Oman have arrived in India today. Our missions in Oman, Iraq and UAE are in regular touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for the early repatriation of the mortal remains of the three other deceased Indian nationals after completion of requisite formalities.'

He also shared an update on the flight status and noted that the Ministry's dedicated special control room continues to remain operational to address queries from Indian nationals and their families.

The MEA official said that airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled flights based on operational safety. 'Today, around 70 flights are expected to operate from various airports in UAE to destinations in India'.

'Flights are operating from various airports in Saudi Arabia to different destinations in India. Qatar Airways' operated three flights to India yesterday and is expected to operate three flights to India today also.

The Additional Secretary underlined that the Ministry of External Affairs continues to monitor the evolving situation in the West Asia and Gulf region and that the safety and wellbeing of the Indian community continues to remain the highest priority. (ANI)