German coronavirus evacuation flight lands in Frankfurt

A Luftwaffe plane carrying Germans repatriated from virus-affected regions in China landed in Frankfurt on Saturday.

The German Armed Forces Airbus A310 touched down shortly after 1600 local time (1500 GMT).

The 102 evacuees on board the flight from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, will be kept in quarantine for 14 days.

Germany's defense minister said the plane had been refused permission to land and refuel in Moscow due to what the Russians said was lack of capacity and had to divert to Helsinki.

The minister said the reasons behind the Russian decision would be discussed at a meeting next week with the Foreign Office.

Germany has confirmed six virus cases - five of them involving employees of German vehicle parts supplier who came into contact with a visiting employee who had traveled from Shanghai.

On Friday, Germany confirmed the sixth case, a child of one of the people already infected.

(Representative Image)