NEW DELHI: An IAF military transport aircraft brought home on Tuesday 58 Indians from Iran, which has become a major coronavirus hotspot. The Indian Air Force aircraft C-17 Globemaster was sent to Tehran from Hindon airbase near Ghaziabad on Monday. It evacuated 25 men, 31 women and two children, IAF spokesperson Group Captain Anupam Banerjee said. In addition, the aircraft also brought swab samples of 529 Indians to carry out laboratory tests and check whether they carry coronavirus infection.
About 2,000 Indians are living in Iran, a country that has witnessed increasing numbers of coronavirus cases in the last few days.The official said the Indian citizens who have returned from Iran have been quarantined at a medical facility in Hindon.
“The IAF has activated necessary medical protocols and has put required facilities in place to provide fellow citizens with adequate care and support,” Banerjee said. Soon after the C-17 Globemaster arrived at Hindon airbase, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted, “The IAF aircraft has landed. Mission completed. On to the next.”
The external affairs minister said the government was working on bringing back more Indians from Iran. Iran is one of the few countries which are reporting sizeable number of coronavirus cases. As per reports, over 237 people died of coronavirus in Iran while number of positive cases crossed 7000 mark.
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