KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 -- Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has withdrawn from the All England Open Badminton Championships after surviving what she described as a terrifying brush with an explosion at Dubai International Airport.

The two-time Olympic medallist had been scheduled to open her campaign today against Thailand's Supanida Katethong, but remained stranded in the Middle East as flight cancellations and regional security fears escalated amid tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Sindhu recounted the ordeal in an Instagram Story, saying the blast erupted frighteningly close to where she and her team were sheltering inside the airport.

"The ordeal continues to unfold, and the situation is becoming more frightening ...