Coronavirus: India sends military aircraft to Iran to evacuate its nationals

India on Monday sent a military aircraft to Iran to evacuate its nationals from the Persian Gulf nation, where at least 5823 people were tested positive for the Covid-19 infection and 145 already died.

The C-17 'Globemaster' aircraft took off for Tehran from the Indian Air Force base at Hindan in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh at 8-30 p.m.

The aircraft will bring back home the Indian nationals, who were stranded in Iran after commercial air services between the two nations were suspended in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. All returnees would be quarantined for 14 days at an Indian Air Force facility set up at the airbase in Hindon. They would be discharged from the quarantine facility only if they tested negative for the coronavirus after 14 days.

“An IAF C-17 'Globemaster' aircraft got airborne today at 2030 hrs from Hindan airbase to airlift Indian citizens from Iran. The aircraft has a specialist medical team on board. Indian citizens will be flown to Hindan where medical facilities including quarantine have been set up,” a spokesperson of the IAF posted on Twitter.

“The C-17 aircraft will be flying overnight to Tehran and will return to India in the early hours tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. (The) IAF is ensuring the required operational and medical measures are in place for an expeditious and safe return of Indian citizens from Iran.”

Nearly 1200 Indian nationals got stranded in Iran after commercial air-services between the two nations was suspended in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

New Delhi set up two facilities in Tehran and Qom to collect the swab samples of the Indian nationals stranded in Iran. The samples were brought to New Delhi for testing. Sources said that only the ones who had been tested negative for Covid-19 infection would be allowed to board the C-17 aircraft and fly from Tehran to Hindan.

Indian nationals stranded in Iran are mostly pilgrims and students. Some Indian fishermen are stranded in Kish Island of the West Asian nation.

Iran also evacuated its nationals stranded in India by a commercial aircraft.

India earlier evacuated its nationals from the Ground Zero of the Covid-19 outbreak at Wuhan in China as well as from Japan.