An Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft the C-17 Globemaster has repatriated 58 Indians stuck in Iran due to coronavirus scare. Iran is third in the list of worst-affected nations hit by the deadly Covid-19.
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft developed for the United States Air Force by McDonnell Douglas.
The Indian C-17 Globemaster left for Tehran on Monday evening landed this morning at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, from where the passengers were taken to a medical facility for tests according to the PTI
The IAF aircraft has landed. Mission completed.
On to the next.— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 10, 2020
“The IAF aircraft has landed. Mission completed. On to the next,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.
Earlier, S. Jaishankar in a surprise visit to Srinagar met parents of students stranded in Iran and assured the repatriation of all stranded in the country. Around 300 people from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are among the Indians stranded in Iran.
Thousands of students and pilgrims from Kashmir visit Iran every year and a good number among them have arrived home during the last few weeks. However, according to a health official, none of them has been quarantined so far which poses the risk of coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir.
First batch of 58 Indian pilgrims being brought back from #Iran. IAF C-17 taken off from Tehran and expected to land soon in Hindon. pic.twitter.com/IqZ8NUK1M6
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 10, 2020
The first batch of 58 Indian pilgrims deboard from IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft which landed at Hindon air force station in Ghaziabad from Tehran, Iran. #CoronaVirus pic.twitter.com/IXYOu0sSkq
— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
On February 26, the government of India issued a travel advisory asking people to avoid non-essential travel to Iran, North Korea and Italy where coronavirus deaths were reported recently. People with travel history of Iran, North Korea and Italy since February 10 have been asked for 14 days quarantine.
