Ministers on evacuation of Germans from China

Germany's defence minister said on Saturday a plane carrying 102 people from Chinese city of Wuhan back to Germany was refused permission to land and refuel in Moscow due to what Russians said was lack of capacity, and h to divert to Helsinki.

German Armed Forces Airbus A310 was en route to Frankfurt when diversion occurred.

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said reasons behind Russian decision will be discussed at a meeting next week with Foreign Office.

Those who were evacuated from Wuhan, epicentre of an outbreak of a novel coronavirus, will be kept in quarantine for 14 days.

So far, Germany has confirmed five cases of novel coronavirus.

All five cases involve employees of German vehicle parts supplier Webasto who came into contact with a visiting employee who h travelled from Shanghai.

China has reported 9,692 confirmed cases with a death toll of 213 as of Friday, and World Health Organization has declared outbreak a global emergency.