india

Updated: Mar 15, 2020 09:42 IST

More than 200 Indians, who were evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran, were on Sunday brought to Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and will be quarantined at the Indian Army’s wellness centre, officials said.

The Indians, including students and pilgrims, had reached Mumbai early on Sunday on a Mahan Air flight, an Iranian carrier, and then brought to Jaisalmer in two Air India planes.

“The Wellness Centre at Jaisalmer is fully equipped and functional facility to help Indian citizens undertake the mandatory quarantine period under the supervision of skilled medical authorities,” Colonel Sombit Ghosh, Rajasthan’s defence spokesperson, said.

Highlights The Indians, including students and pilgrims, were brought to Jaisalmer in two Air India planes.

Army soldiers have volunteered to take care of the evacuated people

They came to Mumbai in a Mahan Air flight, an Iranian carrier.

“Soldiers have volunteered to provide care and support to our countrymen returning from overseas,” he said.

Col Ghosh said the wellness centre is working with the civil administration airport authorities and the Indian Air Force (IAF) to ensure proper care is provided to all the evacuated citizens.

After the Indians landed in Mumbai, external affairs minister S Jaishankar thanked Iranian authorities for helping India in the evacuation of its nationals.

“234 Indians stranded in Iran have arrived in India; including 131 students and 103 pilgrims. Thank you Ambassador @dhamugaddam (Dhamu Gaddam) and @India_in_Iran team for your efforts. Thank Iranian authorities,” the minister tweeted.

Iran is among the worst affected countries in the Middle East with 12,729 cases and even senior officials testing positive. It said on Saturday the coronavirus outbreak has killed another 97 people, pushing the death toll in the country to 611.

India has carried out several evacuations of Indians nationals from Iran in the past few days.

The first batch of 58 Indians was brought back in a C-17 Globemaster, the largest military aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) inventory, on Tuesday followed by another evacuation of 44 individuals on Friday.

Also read: 58 evacuated from Iran, housed in isolation at Hindon airbase medical facility; remain asymptomatic

India and Iran have both begun operations to evacuate citizens stranded in each other’s territories and have pledged full cooperation in this regard.

India is trying to set up a laboratory in Iran to test all Indians for the coronavirus to expedite their exit and in the meanwhile, their samples are being sent to India in batches for testing onboard special Mahan Air flights.

India has reported two deaths and 93 positive cases of coronavirus so far.