(Image source from: orfonline.org)

The government of India has said that it is in the process of evacuating 1,400 nationalities of India from Iran which is the worst affected by the outbreak of the deadly novel COVID-19 after China. Among the 1,400 Indian nationals stranded in the Iran, most of the people are said to be residents of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.

A statement has been tabled before the Rajya Sabha, S. Jaishankar who is the Minister of External Affairs has said that of the 6000 Indian nationals who are living in Iran, around one thousand are said to be pilgrims mainly from Ladakh, Jammu & Kahmri and Maharastra and around 300 students are said to be mostly from Jammu & Kashmir and one thousand have been identified to be fishermen from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

According to the records, around 9000 people have been infected with the deadly novel COVID-19 all across Iran.

New Delhi has temporarily suspended direct flights between India and Iran with the increase in the number of confirmed cases of people being infected by the deadly novel coronavrus in Iran. The suspension of direct flights between New Delhi and Iran has been temporarily suspended from the 27th of February.

It has been said by the minister that the Indian embassy in Tehran and the consulates in Bandar Abbas and Zahindan had reached out immediately to the nationalities of India in Iran in order to ascertain the welfare of the Indian nationals and are staying in touch with them.

The Minister of External Affairs has told the House that the initial focus is on the visiting pilgrims and that many of the visiting pilgrims are said to be in Qom where the incidence of the coronavirus is strong and also the Indian students are being focused.

The minister S Jaishankar has added saying that the southern province of Iran which include the cities of Asaalouyeh, Chiruyeh and Kish where most of the fishermen are said to be located have not been severely affected and therefore these factors would be guided by being approached in the further coming days.

With the increase of confirmed cases of being infected by the deadly coronavirus is increasing at an alarming rate in Iran, a team of six health officials of India has been deputed to the coronavirus- hit Iran in order to set up the facilities of testing and sampling in Iran.

The first batch of samples received in India have been tested where in it comprised of 108 samples and were received in India on the 7th of March . among the samples that have been tested, fifty- eight Indian pilgrims which include 25 men, 31 women and two children have been tested negative and they have been repatriated in special IAF C-17 flight on the 10th of March, as said by the minister of external affairs S Jaishankar.

The government of India has also received the samples of another 529 Indians at the National Institute of Virology which is located in Pune, for testing.

S Jaishankar has said that collection of samples in Tehran would be continued and the aim is to ensure the earliest possible return of all the Indian nationals after being appropriately tested and are screened.

The minister had added saying that the government of India is working with the authorities of Iran in order to operate some limited commercial flights which would be used for facilitating early return of the Indians who are remaining in Iran.

By Shrithika Kushangi