Muscat: Two expatriates were killed and several others were injured after a drone crashed in an industrial area in Sohar, Oman, amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Authorities confirmed that most of the injured were Indian nationals.
According to reports from Omani authorities, two drones entered the country’s airspace on Friday. One drone crashed in the Al Awahi industrial area in the port city of Sohar, causing deaths and injuries among workers present at the site. Another drone fell in an open area and did not cause any casualties.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the two people who died in the incident were Indian nationals. A total of eleven people were injured in the crash and ten of them are Indians.
Officials said five of the injured Indians were treated and later discharged from hospital. The remaining five are still receiving treatment but their injuries are not considered life threatening.
The Indian Embassy in Oman is in contact with local authorities and the company that employed the workers. Officials are providing assistance to the injured and are also coordinating arrangements to return the bodies of the victims to India.
The drone crash comes at a time of growing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran and other countries in the Middle East. Several Gulf nations have reported drone and missile activity in recent days as the situation continues to escalate.
Omani authorities have launched an investigation into the incident while security agencies in the region remain on high alert. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of expatriate workers in industrial areas across the Gulf.