Chennai woman returns to India in an empty flight via Singapore amid Coronavirus outbreak

With China reeling from the coronavirus outbreak, an Indian medical student, M Velam from Chennai was the sole passenger on a flight from Tianjin to India via Singapore. According to reports, Velam wanted to stay put in China to help patients amid an outbreak that has claimed a total of 259 lives and infected 11,791 people. According to reports, the student hailing from Chennai was in her final year of MBBS.

Velam's father reportedly said that his daughter wanted to stay back and help people but they convinced her to come back. The father further added that his daughter had to undergo strict scanning procedures after she landed in India.

India thanks China

Indian Embassy in Beijing expressed its gratitude to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local authorities in Hubei province and Wuhan for assisting the evacuation of Indian nationals from the epicentre of Coronavirus outbreak. Vikram Misri, the Indian Ambassador to Beijing, said that he was relieved on the safe return of Indian citizens from Wuhan.

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Air India flight carrying 324 Indian nationals, majority of who were students, from coronavirus-hit Wuhan landed in New Delhi on February 1. Indians who arrived at the Delhi airport will be taken to an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp where they will be kept in isolation for 14 days under medical observation. Currently, the doctors are conducting coronavirus screening at the airport all the 324 Indian airports.

Another Air India flight is prepared to take off for Wuhan to evacuate remaining citizens who gave their consent to leave Hubei Province for the time being. Indian Embassy in Beijing urged all Indian nationals living in Hubei province to contact the embassy through hotlines if they intend to avail the next flight.

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(with inputs from agencies)