NEW DELHI: A British Airways cargo flight carrying 18 tonnes of medical aid mainly comprising oxygen concentrators landed at the Delhi airport on Saturday morning, a statement said.
The cargo flight from London landed in Delhi at 5.45 am on Saturday. "The total weight of the medical aid was 18 tonnes, made up of five thousand pieces. Among the medical equipment were hundreds of oxygen concentrators from charities, including Oxfam, Khalsa Aid, Christian Aid and LPSUK," British Airways said.
This is the airline's second relief flight to India in the last two weeks, it mentioned. India has been badly hit by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs and equipment.
The daily rise in coronavirus cases in India remained below the 3 lakh-mark for the sixth consecutive day, with 2.57 lakh new cases recorded in a single day, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. With the fresh cases, India's tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,62,89,290.
The death toll due to the disease rose to 2,95,525 with 4,194 fresh fatalities, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.