58 Indian pilgrims airlifted from Iran amidst Coronavirus outbreak, EAM Jaishankar tweets

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday tweeted to thank the Indian and Iranian authorities for the successful airlifting of 58 Indian pilgrims that were stuck in Iran due to Coronavirus. Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, the Government of India sent IAF C-17 Globemaster military aircraft to rescue stranded citizens from Iran. Earlier the government had also sent the military aircraft to China to evacuate the stranded citizens in Wuhan, from where the virus is said to have originated. 

Read: India's C-17 To Fly To Coronavirus-struck Iran To Rescue Stranded Students & Pilgrims

Thanks to the efforts of our Embassy @India_in_Iran and Indian medical team there, operating under challenging conditions. Thank you @IAF_MCC. Appreciate the cooperation of Iranian authorities. We are working on the return of other Indians stranded there," tweeted S Jaishankar. 

Read: Iran Releases 70,000 Prisoners In Bid To Contain The Coronavirus Outbreak

The aircraft left for Tehran at around 8 pm yesterday and reached out to the Indian Embassy there to bring back the stranded citizens. The government has also directed paramilitary forces to set up quarantine facilities for the students and pilgrims who will be brought back from Iran. 

Read: Coronavirus: 41 In J-K's Budgam Who Returned From China, Iran To Be Quarantined

India's Coronavirus count rises 

On Monday, the government revealed that positive cases of the novel Coronavirus in India had soared to 43 after new cases were reported from across India including a three-year-old child. Four new cases emerged from Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu, which reported one positive case each raising the number to 43. Out of these, 40 are active cases, the initial three which were reported from Kerala have been treated and discharged. The health ministry has advised people against mass gatherings to avoid the spread of Coronavirus in the country.

Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: India's Total Reaches 43 As Four New Cases Emerge

(With Agency Inputs)