NEW DELHI: Over 400 Indians stranded in Malaysia left for Delhi and Vizag in two special flights on Wednesday, the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur said. “Thanks @AirAsia for flying out 405 stranded Indians transiting thru KLIA in Spl flights to Delhi and Vizag today. Kudos to @hcikl officials for working tirelessly since yesterday to make it happen,” the high commission in Malaysia tweeted.
On Monday, India had prohibited the entry of passengers arriving from/transiting through Afghanistan, Malaysia and the Philippines amid growing cases of the deadly coronavirus in the country. The advisory came into effect at 3 pm on March 18. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged the troubles that the stranded passengers were facing.
“Appreciate the difficult situation of Indian students and other passengers waiting in transit at Kuala Lumpur airport. We have now approved @AirAsia flights for you to Delhi and Vizag. These are tough times and you should understand the precautions. Please contact the airline,” he tweeted. Meanwhile, 185 Indian pilgrims who were stranded in Jeddah also returned to Mumbai in a special IndiGo flight. “With departure of 185 pilgrims 4m Jeddah to Mumbai thru a special Indigo aircraft, the final phase of evacuation of 3035 Indian Umrah pilgrims culminated today.
Thanks all airlines & Saudi govt. Special thanks to MoCA for their timely support (sic),” the Indian Consul General in Jeddah tweeted. The plane for Vizag landed later and its passengers have been told to stay at home for 28 days.Meanwhile, hundreds of distressed Indian students, stuck in the Philippines, are seeking help through video messages as they are unable to fly back home due to the travel restrictions imposed by India to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, according to friends and relatives of these students.
Praise for patience
Jaishankar also appreciated the patience shown in ‘tough times’ by Indians who were caught back in Malyasia