New Delhi: Amid the scare caused by Coronavirus breakout in China, a special Air India flight today departed from New Delhi to Wuhan to rescue Indian citizens trapped in the region. This is the first special flight, double decker jumbo 747 with 15 cabin crew and 5 cockpit crew which had been departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport (T3) for the evacuation of Indians at 12.30 pm. This flight is expected to return the national capital from Wuhan at 2 am on February 1.
Nearly 325 Indians will be evacuated to India to enusre their safety from the outbreak of coronavirus. Ministries of civil aviation had made all possible arrangements for transport and quarantine facilities respectively. A team of five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia hospital (RML) hospital, one paramedical staff from air India with prescribed medicine from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are boarded in the special aircraft. A team of engineers ,security personnel are also there in this special aircraft. The rescue mission is lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director operation of Air India.
Earlier, the Cabinet Secretary had chaired a meeting to decided the measures to be taken to protect Indian citizens from the coronavirus attack. On January 29, Ministry of External Affairs informed that Chinese Government has requested for permission to operate two flights to bring back Indian citizens from Hubei Province of China. MEA was in constant contact with the Chinese government in this regard.
#CoronaVirusOutbreak Update
Chinese Government requested for permission to operate two flights to bring back our nationals from Hubei Province of China. @EOIBeijing in touch with Chinese authorities on the ground to work out necessary logistics. We will share regular updates.
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 29, 2020
The MEA may make arrangement of another special flight which may depart from T3, Delhi on Saturday (February 1). China is continuously working with the international health agency and coordinating with other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security.
The death toll has gone up to 213 due to the novel corona virus outbreak, confirmed Chinese authorities. Hubei province alone has reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. The total number of cases confirmed is as many as 9,692.
