Bengaluru, March 3 -- As airspace closures and flight cancellations disrupt travel across parts of West Asia, Karnataka has urged the Centre to prepare for possible evacuations and intensify diplomatic efforts to safeguard Indians caught in the turmoil, including around 100 from the state stranded in the United Arab Emirates and nine in Bahrain.

In a letter to Narendra Modi on Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called for evacuation preparedness, stronger engagement through Indian missions abroad and the creation of an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism to respond to the crisis.

"The evolving security environment, including hostilities and civilian airspace closures, has generated widespread uncertainty and distress among affecte...