Indian-origin doctor travels 1,460 km to escape Kuwait amid West Asia tensions ​

A Hyderabad-based eye specialist, Dr Umesh Bhammarkar, went through a frightening experience during his recent trip to Kuwait, which turned into an unexpected crisis, as per report. An avid traveller who has visited 22 countries, he never imagined that his 23rd destination would become his most difficult journey.

Dr Bhammarkar had planned to return to India on March 1. However, just an hour after leaving the airport in Kuwait City, attacks broke out across the city, creating panic and confusion. What was supposed to be a short visit quickly turned into a stressful situation as he found himself stuck in a foreign country.

He reportedly tried to book flights back home, and although two flights appeared available, he discovered that the airport had been shut when he reached there. With no immediate way to leave, he stayed back and looked for other options.​

After some time, he reportedly managed to secure a seat on a tourist bus heading to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Along with a few others, he began a long 1,460-kilometre journey across the desert. The 26-hour bus ride was both physically tiring and mentally stressful. He described crossing the “no man’s land” between the two countries as one of the scariest moments of his life.

From Jeddah, Dr Bhammarkar finally boarded a flight to Mumbai and reached home safely on March 7, 2026, as per reports.

Looking back, he said he had no idea about the situation when he first arrived and was only alerted after his wife called him.

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