A shocking total of 11,439 Indians died in foreign countries in 2020, according to replies sought under Right to Information Act.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) gave this information in a reply to an RTI application by Mumbai-based activist Jatin Desai.
In its reply, MEA’s Director (CPV) and CPO said that 11,439 Indians died last year in foreign countries, of which the highest deaths were from Saudi Arabia.
3,753 Indians died in Saudi Arabia last year. Meanwhile, 12 Indians died in the prisons of foreign countries.
The MEA also informed Desai that 2,454 Indians died in the United Arab Emirates, 280 in the USA, 1,279 in Kuwait, 216 in Italy, 41 in the United Kingdom, 12 in Switzerland, 40 in Sudan, 166 in Singapore and 385 in Qatar among others.
One each died in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.
Two Indian prisoners died in Italy while one each died in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mali, Myanmar, Slovak Republic, Thailand and United Kingdom. Two prisoners also died in Malaysia.