Air India jumbo plane ready for evacuation of Indians from Wuhan

Flag carrier Air India has kept one of its 423-seater jumbo plane ready in Mumbai for evacuation of Indian citizens from Wuhan province in China in wake of Corvirus outbreak in East Asian country, an official source said on Tuesday.

airline is awaiting necessary approvals from ministries of External Affairs and Health to operate special evacuation flight, source said. decision follows government instructions to various ministries to take steps to deal with issue.

"We have kept a Boeing 747-400 ready in Mumbai to operate an evacuation flight to China whenever we get a go ahead from government," source said.

Some 250 Indians are to be evacuated, source said, adding, "we are awaiting clearances from Ministry of External Affairs and also from Health Ministry. Health Ministry's d is required because operating crew has to fly in a virus outbreak territory."

At Cabinet Secretary meeting on Monday,  government decided that steps may be taken to prepare for possible evacuation of Indian nationals in Wuhan.

Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but virus in China is a vel strain and t seen before.

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outbreak has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

Accordingly, Ministry of External Affairs will make a request to Chinese authorities while Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Health will make arrangements for transport and quarantine facilities respectively, an official release had said on Monday.

Government also asked Civil Aviation Ministry to issue instruction to airlines for managing and tifying anybody reporting illness on all direct and indirect flight to China besides facilitating in-flight anuncements and distribution of health cards to all flights with direct or indirect connectivity to China.

Officials said Ministry of External Affairs will make a request to Chinese authorities for evacuation of Indian nationals, mostly students, stuck in Wuhan city.

"It was decided that steps may be taken to prepare for possible evacuation of Indian nationals in Wuhan. Accordingly, Ministry of External Affairs will make a request to Chinese authorities," a government statement said.

Wuhan along 12 or cities have been completely sealed by Chinese authorities to stop virus from spreading. death toll climbed to 80 with 2,744 confirmed cases.

Over 250 to 300 Indian students are reportedly stuck in Wuhan triggering concerns over ir well-being.

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