COVID-19: 350 Indians stranded in Pakistan return through Attari border

At least 350 Indians celebrated their return home after being stranded in Pakistan due to the COVID-19 lockdown. According to reports, the stranded Indians returned through the land route of the Attari border.

The returnees belonged to Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and West Bengal. Some of them even had COVID-19 negative reports from the Health Department in Pakistan while the ones who did not were scanned and tested at the border.

Read: 13.74 Lakh Indians Have Returned From Abroad Under Vande Bharat Mission: MEA

Vande Bharat Mission: Over 16.25 Lakh People Repatriated

In a recent tweet, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that since the commencement of the Vande Bharat mission, over 16.25 lakh people have returned from different countries. On September 13, a total of 4,170 people returned under Vande Bharat Mission according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The flights operating under the banner of the Vande Bharat mission have facilitated the repatriation of people following the COVID-19 lockdown which halted all international flights. In addition to helping Indians abroad return home, the Vande Bharat Mission has also helped the foreigners stranded in India.

Read: Over 12 Lakh Indians Have Returned From Abroad Under Vande Bharat Mission: MEA

The Vande Bharat repatriation and evacuation mission was launched on 7 May 2020. During the first phase of the mission 84 flights helped rescue Indians that were stuck in other nations. The first phase on the mission also included ships from the Indian Navy. The Vande Bharat Mission is currently in its sixth phase which will continue till October 24.

The COVID-19 pandemic which saw its first outbreak in a wet market in Wuhan, China last year has now spread all across the world. The virus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation, has infected over 29 million people worldwide with the global death toll reaching over 930,000.

As per the John Hopkins coronavirus resource centre, the United States has reported a total of at least 6.5 million positive virus cases and has a death toll of more than 195,000. The US currently has the highest number of reported cases in the world, making it the epicentre of the virus.

(Input Credit PTI)

Read: MHA Issues SOP For International Passengers Under Vande Bharat, Air Bubble Scheme

Read: Vande Bharat Mission: Over 16.25 Lakh People Repatriated So Far, Says Hardeep Singh Puri