Coronavirus: 324 Indians evacuated from Wuhan, another AI flight departs from Delhi

Air India's jumbo B747 aircraft reached here on Saturday morning after evacuating 324 Indians from China's Wuhan city, epicentre of dely coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

plane, carrying 211 students, 110 working professionals and three mirs, reached Delhi around 7.30 am, y said.

Ar flight of airline departed for Chinese city from here around 1.37 pm, officials said.

Five doctors from Ram Mahar Lohia (RML) Hospital who were onboard first flight are also in second flight, Air India spokesperson said.

Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from China's Hubei province in view of coronavirus infection outbreak.

Separately, border-guarding force ITBP has set up a 600-bedded facility in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been affected by virus.

Officials said y will be monitored for any signs of infection for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members.

first flight h departed from Delhi airport at 1.17 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals from China, where more than 250 people, ne of m Indian, have died due to dely coronavirus infection.

Hours after arrival of flight from Chinese city in Delhi, Air India spokesperson said, "Ar flight will depart to Wuhan from Delhi at 12.50 pm today with a different set of crew, same doctors' team with or aircraft. rescue team is again heed by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director Operation, Air India."

Before departure , Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani h said, " service will take place in plane. Whatever food is re will be kept in seat pockets. As re will be service, re will be interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)."

"Masks have been arranged for crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear," he h ded.

Wuhan, Hubei's capital, is epicentre of dely coronavirus outbreak. virus has killed 259 people in China with total confirmed cases surging to 11,791 amid stepped up efforts by a number of countries to evacuate ir nationals from Hubei province, officials said on Saturday.

Air India has done such evacuations earlier also from countries such as Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait and Nepal. 

Im credit: ANI